hi new garter owner here

[lee barrett]

hi i have just bought a baby albino garter and was wondering about handling. do i handl before or after feeding, when is the best time so i can tame jimmy without stressing him many thanks

lee

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard.

[guidofatherof5]

Hello and welcome.
Here is a link to the forum care sheet which is always a good place to start. It will answer many questions about setting up a home for the snake and its care.
Garters usually require a settling in time so that they feel secure. If it were me I would wait a few weeks before handling. Wait until it has a few weeks of eating under its belt.
Handling can come after the snake is used to its new home.
Just my opinion.
Garter Snake Forum - Garter Caresheet (http://www.thamnophis.com/index.php?page=caresheet)
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//744/medium/welcome.jpg

[Didymus20X6]

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/attachments/welcome-lounge/4500d1332817250-just-saying-hi-t9i0px.jpg%20

[chris-uk]

Welcome aboard.

Give him time to settle before handling too much. As for when, you'll need to learn that from the snake - most garters are happy being handled pretty much any time, including after eating. I've got some that are happy eating while I hold them. Until you know what your little guy is happy with I'd advise not handling straight after feeding, the next day should be fine though.

What species is your albino?

[EasternGirl]

Hi and welcome to the forum! I think that other members already gave you good advice for feeding and handling. We would love to see pics of your garter.

[katach]

Welcome to the forum family! We all love pictures.... ;)

[Invisible Snake]

Hi and welcome :)

[mikem]

Welcome to the forum! :)

[lee barrett]

thanks for the advice will try to upload some pics in a bit

[lee barrett]

5180


5181

[infernalis]

http://www.thamfriends.com/mat.jpg

[chris-uk]

Nice, an albino checkered. Lovely snakes (the wife prefers her albino, I actually prefer them in their natural colours).

[guidofatherof5]

Sweet looking little T.marcianus (Checkered garter)

That link I gave you to the care sheet is a good read.;)

[EasternGirl]

Lovely little albino checkered you have there...I have a male named Hermes. Sweet garters.

[mikem]

Nice little albino :)

[katach]

Welcome to the forum family! I have an albino checkered as well, it's Hermes sister (Marnie's snake). Her name is Adira.

[Dan72]

Welcome! Great looking snake, love the albinos. Not to be a downer, only asking because I still haven't nailed a substrate down, but what kind of substrate are you using in the pics? Looks kind of big and rough like the snake wouldn't like it, or be good for it??:confused:

[kibakiba]

Reptibark, I believe. It's perfectly fine to use, and people seem to prefer it for its looks. Some people use that and... Eco earth? Or coconut something.

[katach]

I use a mix of reptibark and aspen for Adira. The reptibark helps us see her better. She just blends right into the aspen.

[greene]

hi!!! nice snake i need to get myself one of them!

[EasternGirl]

Kat...that's funny...when Hermes was really little, I was always trying to find substrate that he didn't blend right into! It is really difficult to see albinos in certain substrates. He is getting so big now though that it isn't so much of a problem anymore.

Yep...Dan, my albinos seem to like reptibark. The only issue with it is that snakes really can't burrow in it so you have to make sure they have plenty of hides.

[Dan72]

So reptibark might get a shot. My snake dosen't seem to burrow (of course kind of hard with paper towel) but loves to climb. Climb, climb, climb. Should the reptibark be blended with something else or is it fine on its own? How is it for spot cleanning after poo's...:D

[katach]

Reptibark can be used all by itself. Spot cleaning is pretty easy too.

[ProXimuS]

Welcome! I'm new here too.

You're snake is beautiful! I just recently a young Gulf Coast Ribbon Snake, but not quite as tiny as yours :)

P.S. This place is totally awesome, you'll find any answers you need here :D

[gregmonsta]

Greetings :D

[lee barrett]

Thanks for all the tips and welcome messages. He is settling in well now. Eating regularly and coming out now.

[EasternGirl]

I'm thinking I am going to switch Cee Cee back to reptibark. I changed her over to aspen because I didn't like the splinters that I was getting from the reptibark when I cleaned the tank...but I think she was happier with the bark. I'm not sure. She likes to burrow in the aspen but doesn't seem to like to go under her hides with it.

[guidofatherof5]

How is Cee Cee doing overall?

[mustang]

ya, when they can burrow theyll ignore the hides cuz suddenly the whole cage can be a hide. unless you have a tantilla they can dig in repti bark because there so small.

[katach]

With Adira, we use a mix of the two. She seems to like it. We can see her and she can burrow if she wants or go in her hide.

[EasternGirl]

Maybe I will try that with Cee Cee, Kat. Thanks. Steve, Cee Cee seems to be doing well for the most part. She is active, but she has calmed down enough to rest. I am worried that she still will not eat, though. She is very thin. She basically sticks her nose up at anything I try to offer her.