New!!

[caresssse]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7304770020_e5f5f2aea3.jpg

Hello! I'm new here - above is my albino checkered garter Harlequin, she is about 3 yrs old. I bought her back in 2009 from an independent pet shop in Baltimore, and she's been a wonderful pet for a college student (kept her in the dorms against regulations, hehe) I love snakes and would love to get another garter or maybe a corn snake some day.

I have a question, though - I just moved out of my dorm and into a small apartment, where I no longer have free unlimited air conditioning :( My roommate and I always turn the AC off when we're not at home so as to keep our utility bill as low as possible. I live in southern GA, and temperatures are now around 90 F (32 C) and rising, and during the day when we're out the place gets HOT. I just moved her over from the dorms tonight, but I'm worried about leaving her all day in that kind of heat.... will she be okay or should I be leaving the AC on for her? Is there any other option than that?

Thanks! I look forward to posting more on this site :)

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard.

[chris-uk]

Welcome aboard, lovely checkered girl you have and that's a great photo.

With respect to the temps. Do you know what temperature inside the apartment reaches during the day? Is the 90F you mention the indoor temp or outside temp?
My Cuitzeo garter chooses to spend almost all day on a shelf near her lamp where she is over 30C (she actually has a basking spot that is higher up and nearer 40C, she chooses to use it for short periods most days), but she does have the choice to move lower where the ground temp is 28C or to the cold side which is room temp (which tends to be 21-22C).

If you can't keep the AC set to room temp all day can you set the AC to come on and maintain the temp at 28C while you are out? Then at least you know that the room isn't going to get stupidly hot. Presumably when the AC is running you have a heat source for the warm side of her viv?

[guidofatherof5]

Nice to have you on the forum.
Beautiful Checkered (T.marcianus)
Here's a link to the forum care sheet. It's always good read.
Garter Snake Forum - Garter Caresheet (http://www.thamnophis.com/index.php?page=caresheet)
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//744/medium/welcome.jpg

[katach]

Welcome to the forum family!

[Didymus20X6]

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

[mikem]

Nice photo! Welcome to the forum :)

[gazzamann]

class pic , welcome to the forum

[EasternGirl]

Hi and welcome to the forum! Cute pic...what kind of hide is that? It looks pretty cool! I would worry about leaving my snakes in heat like that. Snakes need to be able to thermoregulate...they need to be able to warm up when they want, and cool down if they need to. In temps like that all day...I would fear that she wouldn't be able to cool down. Like Chris said...is there anyway you can set the air to come on when necessary so that it doesn't run constantly?

[Invisible Snake]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

[Didymus20X6]

5417

[d_virginiana]

Welcome to the forum :)

I'm in NC, and the temps get between 80-90 about every day during the summer. The upstairs at our house doesn't have fully functional AC, so I run into the same issue. How hot does the apartment get during the day? I know at our house, the inside temps are about like sitting in the shade outside, but I know how sometimes buildings can act like greenhouses and end up warmer than outside temps. :p It would probably be a good idea to set the AC so that it will turn on if it starts getting REALLY hot, just to be safe though.

[ProXimuS]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Looove the pic :D

[caresssse]

Haha yeah she loves her hideaway log. I don't remember the brand that makes it but it's like a 2-level tunnel sort of thing with a few peepholes. Sometimes she poops in there though and it's a real hassle to clean!! I think the temp gets to about 85 inside. It's in the 90s outside here now but temps easily reach the 100 mark come July and August. And don't even get me started on the humidity... Yep I guess I'll have to set the AC to stay on to maintain a minimum temperature. What would you all recommend? If I set it so the room gets no hotter than 80, would that be ok? My AC has an energy saver mode so hopefully it won't be too bad.

[indigoman]

Welcome aboard! nice set up.

[caresssse]

Okay I've been keeping the AC on and it seems to be keeping her temp stabilized. It's around 78 on the cool side and 85 on the warm side. I have a heat lamp on that side for when I have to crank the AC when I'm home :p

Thanks for all the welcomes! I will try to take more good pictures of her! Here is a picture I took right after I got her a few years ago. She's now about 22 inches!

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2193/5816040998_3660d57826.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

Nice looking snake.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Croeso.

[gregmonsta]

Greetings :D

[mark cope]

Hello
LOVERLY GARTER:)