Intro

[kerensa]

Hello, My name is Kerensa.

I have been keeping reptiles for over 20 years. Recently I decided I was going to get some Garter snakes.
I think that I am most interested in the Eastern, and am considering them solely at this point. (although I've seen some
Prairie that tempt me.)
I'm here for a number or reasons, the first is research. Of course only an idiot would get a new pet with out
doing any sort of research. I may be many things, I hope I'm not an idiot. ;)
The second is I hope to find better sources of Easterns then I had access to previously. There is a local pet store I could
purchase some from, they are not expensive. Neither are the snakes robust in my opinion. They are still fairly small (about 12 inches),
and may turn out healthy and strong in the long run; however, I am not impressed. They appear to either have suffered malnutrition
at some point (or perhaps still) or to be inbred. In any case they are not snakes I wish to have in my collection at this point.
The third reason is to be able to discuss my interest with others whom share it. I'm sure everyone else is here because they are
devoted to avoiding such conversation, right? yeah, I thought not.

A little about myself. I am back in college, finishing up a couple of degrees. (anthropology-concentration archeology, and fine arts concentration sculpture and pottery) More about this later if anyone is actually interested and wishes to hear about the Chemical analysis of ancient remains, or the seriation of several thousand pottery shards.

I have been throwing some hides and bathing bowls on the wheel. I found that the hides I can purchase locally are either wood, which can not be cleaned to my satisfaction, or cast resin that when I checked carefully had rough or sharp spots that I did not wish to risk my snakes with. The bathing bowls, well to get very large ones I am again only able to find cast resin. I much prefer something I can sterilize in the oven if need be that will never absorb any chemicals from cleaning. There is also something of an esthetic urge here as well which is simply not served by ugly sharp edged plastic resin.

Well I have most likely bored you all enough for now. Hope you have a wonderful day.

Kerensa

[ProXimuS]

Hello and welcome!! You've come to the best place for garter discussions and interests:D

[kerensa]

Hello and welcome!! You've come to the best place for garter discussions and interests:D

I was sort of thinking that just *might* be the case. I mean sure it's a long shot right? but hey why not take the chance the guess was right? ;)

[katach]

Welcome to the forum family!

[guidofatherof5]

Nice to have you on the forum.
Making your own custom hides and water dishes is very cool.
Here is a link to the forum care sheet which is always a good read.
We are here to help so ask any questions not answered in the care sheet.
Where are you located?
Garter Snake Forum - Garter Caresheet (http://www.thamnophis.com/index.php?page=caresheet)
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//744/medium/welcome.jpg

[kerensa]

Nice to have you on the forum.
Making your own custom hides and water dishes is very cool.
Here is a link to the forum care sheet which is always a good read.
We are here to help so ask any questions not answered in the care sheet.
Where are you located?
Garter Snake Forum - Garter Caresheet (http://www.thamnophis.com/index.php?page=caresheet)


Thanks for the welcome.
making the hides and water dishes is mostly due to the fact that a cone 10 ceramic is vitreous and will not absorb liquids, is very easy to steralize, and the glazes allow for a super smooth surface that can be made quite attractive. I do need to research my glazes for water dishes and baths since I do not know if the water is or becomes slightly acidic. Some glazes are not what I consider safe, although they may be I'm simply not willing to risk large quantities of heavy metal pigments. Its also very pleasant to be able to hides that look like ancient amphora etc.
yes, I had already searched out that care sheet. I am particularly pleased to have the list of safe fish. I'll likely feed mice, however I also like the options of having safe variety.
I am in New york.

[ProXimuS]

If you're feeding mice, I do believe the safest thing is to give pinkies. If I'm not mistaken the full grown mice, and maybe the hoppers too, can cause hair clogs.

[guidofatherof5]

If you're feeding mice, I do believe the safest thing is to give pinkies. If I'm not mistaken the full grown mice, and maybe the hoppers too, can cause hair clogs.

I lost a very good snake to a hair impaction. No more rodents with fur for my garters.

[gazzamann]

welcome !!! good job i read this thread as im still fairly new to garter keeping , feeding mine on pinkies didnt no hair effected them , cheers for the info

[kerensa]

If you're feeding mice, I do believe the safest thing is to give pinkies. If I'm not mistaken the full grown mice, and maybe the hoppers too, can cause hair clogs.

That is my understanding.
However I have a nice colony of mice, so pinkies should not be an issue. and if all else fails I can buy them frozen. Thank you however for mentioning it.

[ProXimuS]

No problem:) I do believe it must've been one of Steve's posts from a while back, where I read it. I just gave mine a pinkie for the first time the other day with a successful outcome!(He's been on silversides besides that)I got them from Petco. They were sold in little indivual packs of one and packs of three(frozen).

[Didymus20X6]

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

[mikem]

Welcome to the forum! :)

[chris-uk]

Welcome to the best garter snake forum in the world, from a soggy weekend in Coventry.

Lots of people on here keep Easterns, so you will get some good answers to any questions you have.

[kerensa]

Welcome to the best garter snake forum in the world, from a soggy weekend in Coventry.

Lots of people on here keep Easterns, so you will get some good answers to any questions you have.

I certainly hope so. My main interest in the Easterns is because from what I read the others are much more likely to practice cannibalism, and I like the idea of raising some together. If it were not for that I'd consider the plains as well. I'd seen some lovely examples.

[guidofatherof5]

Plains garter and cannibalism. Never heard of that.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Croeso i'f fforwm fach ni.

[kerensa]

Plains garter and cannibalism. Never heard of that.

This is where I had read about the cannibalism in different garter species. Housing - Gartersnake.info (http://www.gartersnake.info/care/housing.php#housing-together) If it is not a worry with the plains, then I'm going to consider them quite closely. :)

[EasternGirl]

Anything you want to know about easterns...I'm here to help. I have a family of them and they are my favorite garter. They are actually the only garter you find in the wild around here. Welcome to the forum family!

[guidofatherof5]

This is where I had read about the cannibalism in different garter species. Housing - Gartersnake.info (http://www.gartersnake.info/care/housing.php#housing-together) If it is not a worry with the plains, then I'm going to consider them quite closely. :)

I didn't see T.radix (Plains garter) mentioned in the section about cannibalism.
I don't consider food related incidents as not true cannibalism. These food related incidents will happen especially if younger/smaller snakes are housed together with larger snakes. This is why feedings must be monitored.

[kerensa]

I didn't see T.radix (Plains garter) mentioned in the section about cannibalism.
I don't consider food related incidents as not true cannibalism. These food related incidents will happen especially if younger/smaller snakes are housed together with larger snakes. This is why feedings must be monitored.


I would always feed separately in any case. I always do that. I also keep very detailed feeding record in my records for each snake. always have. I doubt either will change.

If there is no risk of cannibalism with the plains (or a tiny one only) I shall look at the ones I see for sale as well.

[guidofatherof5]

I've been keeping T.radix for most of my life and have never had an incident happen.

[kerensa]

well provided you don't keep them separated as an sacred rule, it sounds like the risk is a tiny one indeed.

[thamneil]

I would only worry about true cannibalism in the case of T. elegans. Cannibalism in other species is generally misinterpreted. I myself have had some close calls with feeding accidents but have never worried about cannibalism. Welcome to the forum by the way!

[kerensa]

I would only worry about true cannibalism in the case of T. elegans. Cannibalism in other species is generally misinterpreted. I myself have had some close calls with feeding accidents but have never worried about cannibalism. Welcome to the forum by the way!

Thank you for the welcome.
I have to say I had never encountered cannibalism before. what I read about it really disturbed me however.
Years ago I did have one snake attack another who had just been fed. However that is the only time I ever had an issue. I only had three eastern at the time that I believe were all males. They never got more then about 2 feet long and babies never happened. They were all wild caught ones that were in the cellar hole at the farm. I think this time I'm going to get mainly morphs.

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard.

[Invisible Snake]

Hey welcome to the forum.