Violet (just here for updates, future questions, and of course pictures!)

[gordonthegarter]

As I said, this is really just here for me to keep tabs on this cuddly beast along with put up pictures and ask any questions that pop up.

But after having Vi, I definitely will keep getting garters throughout my life! I know they're all different, but she's just so sweet and interesting and cuddly. She was cuddled up on my chest adjusting her jaw and getting all comfy cozy. It's getting dark so we're almost at bed time (last time I didn't realize it was her bed time and she fell asleep using my laptop as a pillow :p) Totally in love with garters now.

She looks a bit chubbier since her meal the other day. Going to weigh her tomorrow and try to get a more accurate measurement (last time she would't cooperate but was roughly 21-24 inches) but she definitely appears less skinny, not that she ever looked terribly skinny, but you know what I mean. Glad to see a little more weight on her after hibernation. Now she can get "fat" and happy :D

And to close my very brief and uninteresting opening post, how about a couple pictures?

8548 when she was chowing down on her crawler parts. I LOVE how her colors came out in this one!!! :D
8549 and taken just now. My slightly pudgier (but not as pudgy as when eating of course!) baby ;)

[guidofatherof5]

Awesome. Looking forward to your future posts.
Garters, you've got it bad. That's a good thing. They are the best kept secret in the world.

[Selkielass]

Lovely. Lap snakes are awesome.

[gordonthegarter]

Fed Vi last night. 2 crawlers = one happy and chubby snake! Of course my hand smelt of worm juices so I got lunged at trying to put her back in her cage :rolleyes: no grudges held of course. Can't be mad at her for that. Besides, now she's entwined in my fingers for some cuddles like the sweet baby she is.

Haven't seen her in her pool, but know she's used it! Half the water was gone this morning and the rest was a clear light yellowish color and there was poop on the bottom. Somebody went in for a dip while I was sleeping.

She eats well, and next feeding I'm going to try to offer her some fish. We're bulkier looking than when first caught and couldn't be happier. She is just so cute and has such a great personality. All those people who say garters aren't good starter snakes clearly haven't met one :p

855885598560 and to end it, some post 2 crawler meal pictures. Look at that buldge! I like how her pattern shows up more when she's pudgy :D

[guidofatherof5]

That's a good looking snake you have there.

[gordonthegarter]

Thank you :) she is a pretty little girl

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Agreed!

that's a good looking snake you have there.

[gordonthegarter]

Haven't been on in a few days. Hung out with her for a while downstairs today and she got held by my dad and brother. She also got a couple more crawlers today. She is amazing at eating! Next week going to try some fish with the crawlers. Don't want her getting fixed on just one food.

Weighed her before feeding. She's 48 grams. Have this written on a paper on the fridge and going to weigh her each week before feeding in case she bred before I got her.

No real big updates. She's happy and held daily. I love this snake.

[guidofatherof5]

Good deal. Keep us posted.

[Selkielass]

Pretty girl, and pretty smart- she's training the whole family up right on schedule.

Besides fish and rodents, my snakes go nuts for chicken heart and liver- offer g
Her a bit next time you get giblets w a chicken.

[gordonthegarter]

My one coworker wants me to bring her up sometime to meet her haha She says she wouldn't be afraid and would be able to hold her, but the whole slithering thing freaks her out how they can go so fast :rolleyes:

Oh I bet she'd love chicken liver and heart. Definitely keeping that one in mind! I'm sure the cats wouldn't mind sharing a couple pieces of the giblets (usually cook them up for the furry beasts)

[gordonthegarter]

Decided to grab my camera and take some pictures of Violet just now. Thought I'd try using my close-up setting to get some cool pictures and well, how about I let them speak for themselves?

8636 but first, the "oh what's that thing you have there mom? Can I playwith it?!" look
863886398640

[Foxrun402]

I think they turned out amazingly well! They are very detailed, and she is pretty!

[guidofatherof5]

Violet is beautiful.

[gordonthegarter]

Well I haven't been on here in a while.

Brought her to work to visit my coworker a few days ago and she loved getting to meet a couple coworkers of mine who were happy to meet and hold her. Had to buy Iggy some stuff so she came to the pet store too and a couple who were looking to buy a snake were quite happy to be able to meet her! Susan was so shocked at how cuddly and sweet she was for a snake

Weighed her a couple weeks ago and she's at 64 grams. She downs her crawlers like a fiend and after her fill of those starts sizing up my hand :rolleyes: Let's just say if I don't use her box to get her back in the cage, I'll be her next meal! She's so happy and cuddly and such a joy to have!

Went on a walk the other day and saw a smaller garter, but it got away before I could take pictures. Did get pictures of two rather large water snakes sunning with each other though! Yesterday on a hike found a piece of a shed from a BIG rat snake, but didn't find the snake itself. Did find a tiny 1-2 foot long rat snake but he went into a log before I could catch him for some pictures. Snakes are clearly camera shy :D

[guidofatherof5]

Glad to hear things are going well.

[gordonthegarter]

Somebody spent the other day in her water dish practically the whole day. I got worried and checked on her since I had never seen her soaking before and noticed her eyes a little hazy looking and she was acting much more nervous and anxious than usual. Gave her food and put her back in and she went to soak some more. And today

8935

Somebody's gonna be shedding soon! First shed with me :) I'm excited.

[guidofatherof5]

Looking forward to the post-shed photos. I can't get enough of that Violet.

[gordonthegarter]

Well yesterday her eyes went clear again and today I go to see how she is and

8942

Wrapped around the pool is her very nice shed! Of course she was sitting under the substrate under the pool right by it so I'm thinking she had just done it a little before I showed up. She feels so smooth and the couple little scars she had when I caught her look a bit better now! And of course post she pictures (which didn't turn out too good cause she was in hunt mode cause she was a hungry little girl after all that tough work shedding!)

8943894689478948

I can't get enough of her face! It's just too cute. Now that she's all fresh and shed, she's back to her sweet cuddly happy not nervous and anxious self :)

[gordonthegarter]

89508953 Hungry hungry snakey (who is in need of a new box to eat in cause that one has had lots of crawler guts wiped onto it from dirty snake face :rolleyes:)

89548955 And her shed. Mostly complete, except her jaw,chin which was on her log hide while the rest was around her pool) Eye caps and everything!

[guidofatherof5]

Looks like a good meal for a hungry snake.

[gordonthegarter]

This last thing of crawlers I bought have had some of the FATTEST crawlers I have ever seen and boy does she love the meaty ones!

[guidofatherof5]

This last thing of crawlers I bought have had some of the FATTEST crawlers I have ever seen and boy does she love the meaty ones!

Now that's funny.
The shipment of worms I got in today was full of very large crawlers. Made my big garters very happy.

[Foxrun402]

do you buy dmf bait co ones from walmart?? I just got some on the 1st and they are huge now and yes they are fast and put up a fight for a worm LOL

[guidofatherof5]

I buy wholesale from DMF. They only sell to businesses so with my license from the State of Iowa I qualify.
I buy 500 at a time. I go through 1000 night crawlers a month, couldn't afford to buy them from Walmart anymore. I used to catch them from my backyard but my back tells me I can't do that anymore.:D

[Foxrun402]

Whoa! 1k a month! That must be a ton of work, but I bet it is all enjoyable! Since DMF got their new packaging on the store bought ones, the actual nightcrawlers themselves seemed to have gotten bigger too! At first when I got Suzi home they weren't that big, but now they are beefy and feisty! Makes feeding then with tongs a lot more fun!

[gordonthegarter]

So DMF is just producing some beefy worms this season :D no complaints from the snake. Garter approved beefy worms!

That is A LOT of crawlers a month! You must be a pro at chopping up worms haha

It's gonna be sad. Leaving Thursday for vacation for 5 days. Gonna miss my reptilian friends (and birds and cats and dogs too of course!) Giving Vi a nice feast tomorrow and Iggy gets a big fresh salad and a big bowl of iguana "croutons" for when we're gone. I know they'll be fine, but I'm gonna miss their faces.

[gordonthegarter]

Wow I haven't been on here in a while!

Violet is as happy as ever. Pigs out on her crawlers like a champ and we upgraded to a 20L tank and she LOVES it! She is out and about in there so much more now! She also gets excited when she sees me now and comes right to the side of the cage

93539354

I have also gotten into leopard geckos and have an amazing blizzard named Zoran (Zorro for short) and my newest, a tiny mack snow tremper hatchling who will be named Dylan if a boy but no female named decided yet.

9355Dylan likes sleeping in weird positions and running to the side of the cage to stare at me
9356 The left is Zorro the day I got him, and the right is him now. He's gotten chubby :D he's my cuddly baby

Oh! And went to visit my brother and nephews while they were fishing and there was the PERFECT place for snakes to hide. Seeing as the 3 year old loves snakes, I decided to catch one for him to see. Searched everywhere and didn't find one, then my mom takes one step next to me to take pictures of flowers and scares one away! So in search of the snake she scared away (which by how she described it, it was a northern water snake) came up with nothing. Just as I was about to quit looking I saw something moving in a hole next to me and look down and saw this pretty girl

9352

She was deep in shed and bit my thumb when i first picked her up, but calmed down very quickly and the boys loved seeing her! Took her home to see her finish her shed and glad I did because she had stuck shed all over her but BOY IS SHE A PRETTY ONE!!! Such a dark brown color! My mom named her Ivy and since she shed yesterday I offered her some mealies after Vi ate and she eats like it's her job! I'll have to get better pictures of her now that she shed. I like to think I have 2 super pretty eastern girls. I even caught her and Vi cuddling under the pool today and Ivy giving me that "feed me" look Vi gives me on feeding day (which is another reason I fed her today)

[guidofatherof5]

Yes, they are super pretty Eastern girls.;)

[Mommy2many]

Very nice snake!