Anyone Raising Garters outside?

[DeadInTheBasement]

My garters mostly eat worms, toads and chicken gizzards(dusted with calcium powder) so they probably smell way worse than any mouse eating snake. A couple days ago i got tired of it and built them a new home outside out of stuff i had around the house and i am sure the enclosure will last until at least winter.
Here is a photo of the enclosure before i finished it i forgot to snap a photo of the finished result. :P
Anyone else have their garters outside?

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n241/DeadInTheBasement/DSC04048.jpg

And a photo of one of my feisty garters. :)

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n241/DeadInTheBasement/DSC04051.jpg

[kimbosaur]

That's interesting. Is it predator-proof though? I feel like something with claws could easily scratch through the plastic? I might just be missing something though.

[guidofatherof5]

Welcome to the forum.

Wondering how this is secured?
I also have a concern about the damp environment. Garters need a place to be dry. Wet, decaying leaves may give way to scale rot or even respiratory infections.
I'm just confused as to how a water dish is used and how this snake can dry out. Another concern would be the fact that plastic will retain heat and may cause this enclosures' heat to exceed safe limits.

[EasternGirl]

Is there a reason why you can't get your garters to just eat frozen/thawed pinkies along with the worms?

[InsanePirateDragon]

Yeah doesn't look all that critter proof, a raccoon can easily tear through something like that in a millisecond if it really wanted to.

[infernalis]

Or a bird, Crows love garter livers..

Toads are a bad idea, because of the parasite loads..

Please read our care sheet thoroughly.

Garter Snake Forum - Garter Caresheet (http://www.thamnophis.com/index.php?page=caresheet)

[Stefan-A]

A crow goes through that plastic like a kopis through saran wrap. So do rodents. It's definitely not predator proof, especially not against the two-legged (nefarious or dimwitted) kind. I'd also like to see the finished version, I suspect it will either be a giant rain gauge or a small greenhouse.

In short, I strongly advise against it, unless you can create a well-drained, covered and secure enclosure.

[DeadInTheBasement]

The enclosure is not made from plastic. It is made from tyvek house wrap which is both tear resistant and drains and it is even in a fenced in area so nothing very big can get in anyways. I have kept tortoises in similar enclosures without problems for multiple years and they were never capable of clawing out either. The leaves i am using as substrate are only wet because i had just finished raking them up. The enclosure is in a shaded area the prevent over heating(just like the tortoises were).
I have had garters and other reptiles on a natural diet for years without problems.
Just because someone is keeping reptiles differently than you does not mean they are doing it incorrectly.

[infernalis]

Just because someone is keeping reptiles differently than you does not mean they are doing it incorrectly.

That's cool, you're right, we are all wrong.

Good luck.

[Stefan-A]

Just because someone is keeping reptiles differently than you does not mean they are doing it incorrectly.
Of course not, but deviating from the tried and proven does make it more likely.

[guidofatherof5]

I think many of the responses to your thread were generate because of the vagueness of your post as to how this outside enclosure is used or even setup.
I for one would like to know how this snake is able to bask (thermoregulate). How and where does it get a drink of water?
We are just concerned and curious about what we where shown.

[kibakiba]

I'm going to sound like a big ol' cow by saying this... but...
Most of the people here has a lot of experience. They have all dealt with a lot of garters and know what they are talking about. We all care about garters, even if they aren't ours... We enjoy helping other people take care of them properly. True, just because someone does it differently doesn't make it wrong, but when "different" means that they aren't getting what they need in captivity, there is a problem. You came here and asked a question, you got an answer. Just because you didn't like it, doesn't make our answer wrong. The fact that people cared enough to point out the problems that could occur with that enclosure is something that you should be grateful for, because one day you might just wake up and your beloved snakes could be dead.
Sorry for the bitchy post, but my feathers are ruffled.

[mb90078]

You're not doing it incorrectly because you're doing it differently, you're doing it incorrectly because you're not thinking about the needs of the animals which you are keeping.

The differences in needs for tourtises and garters are many and important.