Is there any way to feed a husband to a garter snake so one can live in peace?

[kerensa]

I tend to have more of a look with your eyes and not your hands philosophy. So take that into consideration. With ball pythons I'd know the answer and it would be continue as you are and all will be well. However garters are not balls. I tend to check my garters over well twice a week ( read that as I look at every damned scale and really LOOK) and other wise rely on daily observation to be sure all is well. I do not believe they evolved by being handled daily and would handle them less if I did not insist on twice weekly health checks. However my eastern scrubs whom have never been very friendly are starting to strike at me; in and of its self not an issue as I have been bitten many many many times- and by more serious than garters. I tend to see it as cute personally. However it may not be as cute when they are full grown. It may however still strike me as cute/bothersome- it does when emerald (a reticulated male does every few months) hits me. Hard to say with me. (I'm a freak and I know it) the easterns have never actually made contact when they strike... and even if they did I would continue their inspection. Now here is my question, is being handled twice a week enough for the easterns? (Mind you the red sided that were dog tame are still dog tame- I can still hold all 8 of them in one hand) I'm also not convinced that striking is a negative. Alright it will not drive me away, but all in all it is not an unsound evolutionary practice. My hubby however wants some reassurance that this is not an issue (I really don't see an issue myself- but I have accepted the fact I will be bitten often)

K.\

Belle fluer the only wild caught/tossed out pet still is as tame as a kitten and wants as much attention.

[Stefan-A]

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/site-feedback-suggestions-questions/10831-hey.html

[kerensa]

are you saying I should have titled this "ok now, the husband is afraid someone is gonna get bit more often, and it won't be him because Rob doesn't go near a snake on a bet- not even a big one, and I'm sure everything is okay, but won't someone else say this is all well and good and fine and all??? "

that seems so very long.... and amounts to the same thing doesn't it?

[Stefan-A]

I'm sure you could get it down to 10 words or less, without losing the general idea. The point of the title is to explain the subject, not summarize the contents of the first post.

[kerensa]

"is there anyway to feed a husband to a garter snake so one can live in peace?"


still not 10 words or less.

[snake man12]

You need a retic to get rid of your husband...

[-MARWOLAETH-]

I don't really understand the question but I know that babies sometimes are bit nippy because in the wild they'd make a nice snack for pretty much anything so being defensive is a good survival strategy.As they get older they usually calm down but there are always exceptions.If they are being defensive and biting don't handle them because a stressed snake will become vulnerable to illness which defeats the purpose of picking them up to see if they are healthy.(IMO)

[chris-uk]

I think the question was, "will they stop biting eventually, or do I need to handle them more frequently to get them to do this?".

I'd say, "maybe" and "maybe". And at the end of the day, a full grown Eastern won't draw a lot of blood if they do continue to be bitey. Handling more frequently will almost certainly condition them to not bite as much, the question is more whether that is how YOU want to keep your snakes.

[RedSidedSPR]

"is there anyway to feed a husband to a garter snake so one can live in peace?"


still not 10 words or less.

No but it confuses the thread..

In answer to your question, the snake, when full grown, still won't be much of a bite, and certainly not a problem if it doesn't bother you personally. My snakes rarely bite but when they do, the only even remotely bothersome part for me is waiting for them to let go.

[Invisible Snake]

My feelings towards handling reptiles is pretty much the same as yours, look but don't touch. I also do the same as you, I pick up each garter at least once a week to give them an overall physical health inspection. I currently have a few garter babies that will musk and even attempt to strike me if I pick them up. With these particular babies I plan to start handling them more frequently so they can get used to me and not see me as a threat, hopefully this will stop them from attempted strikes and musks. I also think that it is better to feed them in a separate feeding bin so that whenever you go near their enclosure they aren't always thinking it's feeding time. Here is a link to an old thread that a forum member created discussing the benefits of handling.

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/2892-benefits-handling-other-stuff.html

[EasternGirl]

Are we getting too uptight? I thought the title was funny. Drew my attention. And I have often wondered if there was a way to trade my family members for more snakes...lol.

Anyway...to try to answer your question about the striking and biting. I think as most garters learn to trust and get more comfortable...they will strike and bite less. However...my largest female recently started actually biting and drawing blood everytime I put my hands in her tank. I still can't figure out what that is about. She used to occasionally false strike if she was scared...but she and I have always had a close bond and I have had her for almost two years. I think that perhaps handling them more and getting them more comfortable with you might stop the attempted bites...but you will have to take it slowly. To answer your other questions, you might need a very large retic or anaconda to get rid of the husband...lol. Tell your husband, that even if they were to continue to bite you...a garter isn't going to do much harm even with a good bite.

I also like the idea of feeding them in a separate feed tank so that they don't associate you going near the tank with food coming. That may be exactly what is going on with my female eastern.

[Stefan-A]

Are we getting too uptight? I thought the title was funny. Drew my attention.
The original title was "ok now...."

[kerensa]

Ok thanks everone. what I really need is a post of twenty on a fresh page that says garter snake bites ARE harmless, so I can show the husband and he can stop the worry. I am sure in time my easterns will settle down, ans if they don't I'm not worried about their bites. (lets face it if I don't freak about emeralds bites I'm not gonna be freaked about a garter. :) This really is a get the other half settled down and not screaming that the poor little easterns need to go because they're mean.

Thanks

K.

[Invisible Snake]

Just an after thought, but maybe you can get him desensitized to your garters by having him handle 1 once a week/month or maybe let him get bit by one so that he can see that there is no real danger.