Acquiring new garters

[Ruth]

Members were very helpful in my previous post regarding the species of my Garter. I am very much in love with her and would love to add more Garters to my family. Where and who is the best place to go to acquire new Garters ? I'm in the uk (east anglia). I'm in no rush to add more and am not looking for specific types as honestly I love them all lol. I would like to find a good breeder or a means of finding one.

Thanks

[guidofatherof5]

This is the best way to locate U.K. member that might be able to help you with getting some new scrubs.
You could also go to the classified section and post in the "Wanted" section. Then U.K. members can PM you.
Wanted (http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/wanted/)

[CrazyHedgehog]

There are also the IHS shows in Doncaster not so close, but a good range every year

[Ruth]

There are also the IHS shows in Doncaster not so close, but a good range every year

I have thought of attending shows but I have 4 young children aged 2-7 so it's not always that easy :) Strangely no-one wants to look after them for the day while I bog off to a show.

[chris-uk]

Gregmonsta is up in Perth, he should have some great babies this year. You'd be looking at couriering them from him, but Greg is one of the few people I'd trust to buy a garter from without holding it in my own hands first.

Doncaster show is indeed a good place, if you can get there. A couple of Dutch breeders brought some good stuff over this year and may be back again this September. There are a few active breeders around the UK, most of them swing by Thamnophis.com from time to time.

Then other than that it's a case of keeping a watch on either the RFUK classifieds or CaptiveBred forum.

There's few garters around, especially this time of year - so patience is a good thing. I tend to keep an eye open to see what's around, if I spot anything near you I'll drop you a PM.

[Ruth]

Gregmonsta is up in Perth, he should have some great babies this year. You'd be looking at couriering them from him, but Greg is one of the few people I'd trust to buy a garter from without holding it in my own hands first.

Doncaster show is indeed a good place, if you can get there. A couple of Dutch breeders brought some good stuff over this year and may be back again this September. There are a few active breeders around the UK, most of them swing by Thamnophis.com from time to time.

Then other than that it's a case of keeping a watch on either the RFUK classifieds or CaptiveBred forum.

There's few garters around, especially this time of year - so patience is a good thing.
I tend to keep an eye open to see what's around, if I spot anything near you I'll drop you a PM.



That's great thanks. I've never bought anything from anyone using a courier and feel a little odd about it. Presumably the snakes are well cared for during transit, I would worry about them being stressed.

[chris-uk]

I've not used a courier either, but there are a number of them that have good reputations and are licensed to carry all sorts of exotics. There are probably only three breeders I'd courier snakes I'd not seen from. I think Greg may have used a courier to send one of his checkered babies recently, but I'm not sure.

[Invisible Snake]

Hey when you guys say courier is that like Fedex or UPS?

[ConcinusMan]

Fedex and UPS are courier services, yes. I believe the proper job title for a "mail man" is "courier";)

[chris-uk]

Hey when you guys say courier is that like Fedex or UPS?

No. I mean reptile couriers, specialists who are licensed to carry exotic animals from one place to another in the UK. The Post Office (I.e. Royal Mail) won't accept live reptiles, and neither will any of the main postal couriers operating in the UK.


Fedex and UPS are courier services, yes. I believe the proper job title for a "mail man" is "courier";)

In the UK FedEx or UPS wouldn't be my first choice to deliver anything for me. The "mail man" isn't a courier, what you call the mail man would be a "post man" or "postie". A "courier" is someone who carries parcels from A to B who doesn't work for Royal Mail.
And here ends today's lesson in the "Educating Americans in Real English" series. :)

[gregmonsta]

Yes, reptile couriers or animal couriers are very different from your average postie service. Most reputable animal couriers now have heated vans and offer water to their charges on long journeys. It works out cheapest to join them on 'set-runs' (regular monthly tours of the country) rather than an individual trip, to cut down on costs.
Now, I haven't used any personally yet. I've been lucky to arrange transport through snakey friends or have managed to convince new owners that the coffee and chat was worth the journey (never mind the snakes :P). But I have heard good things about a few select companies. Reputation of a service is pretty easy to check on forums like RFUK.
I went on a show trip with this company before and know the guys running it have a lot of experience - Animal Transport Services - HOME (http://animalcourier.co.uk/index.php)

[ConcinusMan]

And here ends today's lesson in the "Educating Americans in Real English" series. :)

Smart alec :mad: ;)


The Post Office (I.e. Royal Mail) won't accept live reptiles, and neither will any of the main postal couriers operating in the UK.

Ahh.. but you admit, they are still couriers. They deliver packages. Doesn't matter what's in them. They're still couriers.


what you call the mail man would be a "post man" or "postie". A "courier" is someone who carries parcels from A to B

Right. That's what I said. Whether it be Fedex, UPS, packages/parcels, or regular mail, if they deliver packages/parcels they are still couriers. All of them. What I was saying is that the job title here for the guy that delivers your bills and letters, and even packages, isn't "postman" "mailman" or "postie". We do indeed call them mailman or postman but the actual job title is still "courier". At least it is here.

I get what you're saying though. When you say "courier" you mean someone who delivers parcels, urgent mail, and packages, not the regular mail/post. there's hardly any distinction really since our "mail man" or "post man" often delivers parcels and packages too, not just letters and regular mail.