Keeping Garters together?

[Gryffindor]

I've heard garters are one of the few snakes that can live together. Do many people here keep garters together? They don't get stressed or anything and it's fine to keep any sex together (i guess as long as you're okay with babies at some point if you keep males and females together)?

I'm just doing some research on snakes that I am interested in keeping one day, no garters yet. :)

[Stefan-A]

Most species of garter snake can be kept together, but even then, it's advisable to keep males and females separate, because the continuous courtship attempts are sure to cause stress in the females.

[gregmonsta]

Communal housing - Thamnophis Alba - The Scottish Garter Snake (http://thamnophis-alba.webs.com/apps/blog/entries/show/5862375-communal-housing)

[chris-uk]

I think you'll find that nearly eveyone on here with more than a couple of garters will have some of them housed comunally. It seems to reduce stress if there are other garters around.
Single-sex groups are best, and just introduce them when they are due to breed.

Basically, follow Greg's link above, read that and let us know if you have any questions.

[EasternGirl]

It is my personal belief that garters do better when housed with another garter....like Chris said, I find it actually reduces stress on the snake when another snake is around. I always try to house at least two together...although, as Stefan said, it is best to house garters of the same sex together. If you put a male and female together, you will end up with a mating situation and most likely many babies at some point. Taking care of baby garters is something that one needs to be skilled in doing....it is not an easy undertaking. Also, dealing with a gravid female can be a difficult task and stressful on the female. Another important thing to remember is that you never want to put a male and female garter of two different species together.

[Didymus20X6]

Communal, but with a few exceptions:

Newborns probably need to be kept separate so they don't get mistaken for food.

Those species that tend toward cannibalism, obviously, like the Wandering Garter. If you do get cage mates, make sure they are similar sizes, and keep them well-fed.

Keep males and females apart, as has been suggested above, but especially if you keep multiple species. Cross-breeding is highly discouraged, and so only keep males and females together if they are the same species.

[infernalis]

I keep most of mine in groups.

[Invisible Snake]

Why is cross-breeding highly discouraged?

[guidofatherof5]

Muddies the gene pool. Accidental breeding of some garters produced watered down snakes.
Produces mutts.
My opinion.

Also the offspring have little to no value in the market.

[kueluck]

I was very excited to read this thread since I’m torn between the Eastern & Red Sided. So my understanding is I can have these two in the same tank, both would be males. Yes?

[EasternGirl]

Yes...there would be no problem having a parietalis and a s.sirtalis in the same tank together as long as they were both of the same sex. Actually..wait...aren't they both sirtalis? Same species right? You can actually breed parietalis and s.sirtalis can't you?

[guidofatherof5]

Yes...there would be no problem having a parietalis and a s.sirtalis in the same tank together as long as they were both of the same sex. Actually..wait...aren't they both sirtalis? Same species right? You can actually breed parietalis and s.sirtalis can't you?

It's not recommended. That would be like breeding T.s.infernalis to T.s.parietalis. Can be done but the outcome would be mutts so to speak. You'd lose both snakes in transition.

[EasternGirl]

I guess I am confused as to which garters can be bred and still remain within the same species...without having a crossbreeding situation. Can you explain that please? I would like to learn more about it. :)

[kibakiba]

The subspecies determines what you can breed together. redsideds can be bred together, easterns can be bred together, etc. T. sirtalis sirtalis (easterns) can only be bred to t. sirtalis sirtalis. t. sirtalis parietalis can only be bred with t. sirtalis parietalis

[guidofatherof5]

Match up the species and or sub-species and you'll be fine.

[Invisible Snake]

Hey so can I keep a male eastern and a male plain garter snake in the same habitat?

[guidofatherof5]

Same size, same sex would be best.

[kueluck]

<~~~~doing the happy dance. Gonna put in my order with Scott Felzer today.

[EasternGirl]

Found an eastern did you?

[Invisible Snake]

I'm ordering from Scott too, may I ask what are you getting from him?

[kueluck]

I want 1 Eastern Normal male and 1 Red Sided Normal male. He doesn't have them yet, I was just putting in my prepay reservation with expected birth date of May/June. I went to the site to prepay for them and it came up $50 for shipping!! I'm about 2 hours away from him so I'm waiting for a response via e-mail if I can pick them up instead of shipping them.
I'm ordering from Scott too, may I ask what are you getting from him?

[Invisible Snake]

Kool! I'm getting 1.1 melanistic eastern, 1.1 neon blue california red sided, 1.1 albino flame eastern and 1.1 flames

[DIRK]

I also keep different spec./subspec. together, but only male with male, female with female.

[EasternGirl]

$50/$60 is about the standard rate you are going to pay for reptile shipping...you are paying for weight(which isn't much) and overnight shipping to ensure the snake gets to you as quickly as possible...that is the standard cost. I do understand if you are close by and you can drive to get them though.

[kueluck]

I just don't like the idea of shipping live animals since there are so many things that can go wrong. Plus I'm also going to the big reptile show in Raleigh May 5th and I'm hopeful to maybe find garters there. I just hope the seller is honest when I ask if they are c/b or w/c. Sure I might be stubborn about shipping and c/b vs. w/c but I can wait. The way I see it is that I've waited the past 25 years for my husband to say yes to having a snake in the house, and the longer I wait, the more I learn from you guys.

[Invisible Snake]

I agree I hate getting live animals shipped, A few weeks ago I ordered a couple of snakes from someone through the faunaclassifieds and he shipped them in a box without any air holes or markings on the box stating "Live Animals" so when I waited for the mailman in the hallway I saw him flipping the box around as if nothing important was in it. When I opened the box the snakes inside looked terrified, I'm glad to say that now they are doing well.

[EasternGirl]

Breeders who have experience shipping snakes know what they are doing concerning how to ship reptiles safely. No one can guarantee that something will not go wrong. But an experienced breeder will take every precaution to make sure the animal gets to you safely. There are not usually air holes in the outside box...or live animals written on the box, in my experience. Usually..there will be a container inside with air holes inside that provides adequate ventilation...and markings on the outside of the box such as "fragile" and "perishable"...some may say "live animals". The animals should also be secured and protected...insulated in a way in which they will not get tossed around during shipping. If you deal with a breeder that knows what they are doing...chances are good that your snake will make it to you safe and sound. I have never had a problem and trust the people that ship snakes to me.

[snakehill]

This happens alot! I recieved a shipment and the Fedex driver was tossing the box around! As I was signing for it I kept trying to grab the box away from him! It wasn't marked live animal either. My last shipment had a picture of a snake on the box (a ball python) and the driver was very careful with it. He was also very curious about the type of snake that was inside! (a baby striped corn) :p

[kibakiba]

People on here know what they are doing whne it comes to shipping, and also if you write "fragile" on the box and the mail man isn't careful with itl... all you have to do is call the office and complain, and they get in trouble.

[snakehill]

I should have called and complained because it was marked "fragile"! :mad: