Newbie Help Please

[FireRedGarters]

K so I have a babie Common garter snake she is 9-12 inches long(hard to messure her) I feed her Slugs, worms and guppies and i have a few questions

1. how old do you think she is( based on her length btw she is about a wide as a pencil maby thicker is some spots)
2.when can i start her on full pinkys(dont want to cut them up just seems nasty sory)
3.when can i move her to a 10 gallon(shes in a 5 gallon)

[mikem]

1. someone else answer this, maybe six months? i'm still new to the garter world and not that familiar with growth rates on these guys.
2. now. plenty big enough to swallow a whole pink. may need to scent it with worms or guppies if it's not interested.
3. now if you'd like. make sure to have some hides.

hope that helps.

[EasternGirl]

I would have to see a photo of the snake...will need to see one to determine what kind of snake it is...and a shot of the underbelly of the snake down near the bottom of the tail to determine sex. After we determine the kind of garter and sex, we may be able to take a guess at age. I would be careful feeding slugs...some can be bad for garters. Please take a look at our caresheet...it will help you with many questions you may have and in caring properly for your new snake. We are here to answer any questions the sheet does not answer for you. :) Garter Snake Forum - Garter Caresheet (http://www.thamnophis.com/index.php?page=caresheet)

[mikem]

what marnie said. photos will help a lot more :)

[Selkielass]

If s/he is captive born, could be as little as a year. If wild caught, probably at least two years old.
It depends on how small a pinky you can find- if you have a local supplier who sells extra small pinkies, she may be able to take them now.
Look at her midsection- you want mice about that big around, or a bit smaller.

Cutting mice is yucky, but not nearly so bad ifyou cut them while still frozen.
I have a knife and cutting board set I use only for snake food, and even tho its just a paring knife, pinky mice and even rats cut into quarters lengthwise pretty easily when just out of the freezer. Let them defrost in their serving dish.

My Checkered was less than 8 inches long when he started taking pinky mouse quarters. He only got 1/4 to 1/2 pinky at a feeding.

[katach]

A picture of your little one would help a lot. A full body shot for identification and and under side shot of the vent for sexing. Also where you found the little one would be helpful for identification (state and county). As far as food goes, if you can find extra small pinkies that are about the size of your snake's head around, you can feed those any time you want. As stated above you may need to scent the pinkie with fish or worm for it to take them. With the tank, you can switch right now. Your snake would probably be very happy and comfortable on a10. Be sure you have a warm side and a cool side, several hides, an appropriate substrate, and a water dish. Welcome to the forum family!

[kibakiba]

No tank is really too big for a garter snake, they love to explore.

[FireRedGarters]

I cant post any pics of her cuz my phone has a crapy camera but my moms friend works for the local fish and game and she said that it is female based on the size and shape of the tail and that it was a common garter ( the two species we have are common and western terrestrial ) she also said that she was less than a month old but she didnt know exactly

[katach]

There are many subspecies if the common garter. If you can find someone with camera and post a pic, we can tell you what subspecies you gave if you want to know.
Common Garter Snake - Caresheets (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Common_Garter_Snake)
If you can't get a pic, you can check out the link above and see if you can find you girl there. Hope this helps.

[EasternGirl]

Kat is right...saying "common garter" isn't really telling you what kind of garter you have...that is the term used for the species of T. sirtalis, which has several subspecies. You may also want to have us confirm the sex. If you can borrow a camera from someone, take a couple of pics of her and one of her underbelly near the bottom of her tail and we can try to tell you subspecies and sex.

[guidofatherof5]

I cant post any pics of her cuz my phone has a crapy camera but my moms friend works for the local fish and game and she said that it is female based on the size and shape of the tail and that it was a common garter ( the two species we have are common and western terrestrial ) she also said that she was less than a month old but she didnt know exactly

Are you saying Eastern Garter- Thamnophis s. sirtalis as the Common Garter?

[Natrix]

I cant post any pics of her cuz my phone has a crapy camera ? but my moms friend works for the local fish and game and she said that it is female based on the size and shape of the tail and that it was a common garter ( the two species we have are common and western terrestrial ) she also said that she was less than a month old but she didnt know exactly
Any pic is better than none at all. The clearer the better. SO! Head shot - side on, Mid body shot - side on and a full shot so we can see the whole snake. Please, Then we will be able to give you more accurate idea as to what you have. ;)

[Didymus20X6]

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/attachments/welcome-lounge/4500d1332817250-just-saying-hi-t9i0px.jpg

[FireRedGarters]

Im not shure if its right but a feild guide i have says that its a "vally" subspecies its the only one native to my area Pocatello, Idaho

[EasternGirl]

That would be a T.s.fitchi...does it look like this? 4750

[FireRedGarters]

my feild guide i have says the only subspecies i have around here(pocatello idaho) is "vally" is anybody heard of this subspecies becuse i havent till now and by the way i think its a prety credible source the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians

[EasternGirl]

Valley Garter is T.s.fitchi...that is what I was posting above. I posted a photo above of a fitchi, or a valley garter...so that you could look at the photo and see if it looks like your snake. Click on the photo.

[FireRedGarters]

what found is almost pure black with grayish white stripes it also has a black under bellie its the only one like it ive seen,thats why i kept it as a pet i thought it might have been a color mutation but the other ones i see around here look just like the picture above

[FireRedGarters]

This looks just like her found it on google images i think she might be anerythristic4764

[BUSHSNAKE]

Melanistic fitchi? Wow very cool

[FireRedGarters]

so do u guys think shes worth breeding

[Selkielass]

I think she's a very cool variation.

[EasternGirl]

I think you probably have a very cool find on your hands. She is probably worth breeding...but breeding is a tough undertaking and you have to make sure that you find a mate that is the same subspecies in order to breed. You would have to make sure to have the snake sexed properly and the subspecies identified properly and then you would have to make sure to find a mate of the same subspecies. Then you would need to learn about breeding and how to care for gravid garters and babies.

[Invisible Snake]

Also find out if she is of breeding age.

[FireRedGarters]

How would i go about doing any of this

[katach]

If you can find a reptile vet they can confirm the sex of the snake. To find a mate you can post a wanted thread in the classified. You will want to brumate them in the winter so they will have a better chance of mating. To learn about brumation check out the caresheet (Garter Snake Forum - Garter Caresheet (http://www.thamnophis.com/index.php?page=caresheet)). If you have any questions at all about any of the process please ask.

[FireRedGarters]

This isnt rely important but can two different subspecies of the same species have viable ofspring

[katach]

It is highly discouraged. They would not be as pretty or wonderful as you might think. They also would not sell in the trade.

[FireRedGarters]

Also how do you change your picture on this forum i just barley started and cant figure it out

[katach]

Under the main tabs there is a smaller tab at the top that says forum actions. Click on that and then general settings. Once that loads on the left side of the page there us an option to edit your avatar.

[FireRedGarters]

thnx i wasnt shure how to do that

[FireRedGarters]

O and by the way do any of you guys make planted vivariums for your snakes