Questions about a Garter

[DEKAN]

Hi.

I've a questions. Is it safe to feed a Garter snake with Poeciliopsis gracilis (http://atlas.drpez.org/Poeciliopsis-gracilis-fotos)?

Also I know that a there's a lot different kinds of Thamnophis, recently a friend of mine just gave me one, I was used to the Radix ones but this...:confused: I don't know what kind of Garter snake is. Any help would be great.

I promise a better pic of the snake -->
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/3221/s5000660gx2.jpg
here are the fishes -->
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/1992/s5000661mw8.jpg

She was like crazy hunting them :D

[KITKAT]

I am GUESSING... but it is an educated guess. The fish you refer to is one of the mosquito fish. As such, it is closely related to the guppy. Therefore, since the guppy is a safe food, I would GUESS this fish is also.

I am not sure the species of your snake, however.

[DEKAN]

Thanx for the time and the reply ;)

She's been fishing like crazy since the fish arrived...and damn I she's fat...lol

Here is a closer look http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/2151/s5000684ak9.th.jpg (http://img530.imageshack.us/my.php?image=s5000684ak9.jpg)

[adamanteus]

Robert, I think you may have a Thamnophis couchii there. If I'm right you're going to have a lot of new friends here!!:D Can you tell us where it was found?

[Lulu Bennett]

i was going to say that shes looking very voluptuous there!!!

[DEKAN]

Wow really?....I'm gonna be dad!!! http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/566/dancingemoticonvf7.gif

I live in Mexico, I found her in a Marketplace in a bag with water, So I was like poor snake,I saw the size and she was big enough to put her on my old 200 ltrs fishtank, I was so tired of cleanning water and buying medicene for the fish so I made a Terrarium of it ...and I thought she was fat, cause of the fishes :o

Sorry If I'm not making myself clear in some parts, English it's not my first language :(

[adamanteus]

I've changed my mind...I thought at first "plain phase" T. couchii, but the scale count is wrong (17). Now I'm thinking T.melanogaster! Any other ideas guys?

[adamanteus]

What region/province of Mexico, Robert? Can you post a photograph of her belly?

[DEKAN]

Damn she is strong and fast...but here are the pictures

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/9994/s5000687yo0.th.jpg (http://img407.imageshack.us/my.php?image=s5000687yo0.jpg)http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/8837/s5000688wx6.th.jpg (http://img112.imageshack.us/my.php?image=s5000688wx6.jpg)

By the way the place is the State of Mexico...very very close to Mexico City but there's a lot of water in here, rivers and lakes :D

[adamanteus]

That confirms it for me! melano - black, gaster - belly!!
I think you have a Thamnophis melanogaster canescens....and I wish it was mine!!:D

[GarterGirl]

I don't know what it is but it is a pretty snake!

[drache]

yes, lovely snake
congratulations

[DEKAN]

Wow...finally I know what kind of Thamnophis. Thank you very much. Now it's easier to find articles and stuff of the snake...

If she has babies I'll upload the photos ;)

Thanx again :D

[Sid]

Robert, welcome to the forum. I agree with James on the species you have and will be the first to say... I'm jelous. We can not get any of the Mexican species here in the USA. Very nice and thanks for posting the photos.

Sid

[ssssnakeluvr]

Wish we could.....there are some awesome thamnophis species down there!!!!!!!

[DEKAN]

Any time guys...If you need some particular kind of Thamnophis from here, I would be glad to look for it and send it to you, but I guess the shipment its a little bit expensive, but can be done :( the garter are cheap, well at least for me...

Anyway...some of you know how many "Babys" could she have?....Do they born alive or from eggs?

[drache]

garters have live babies
the numbers can vary greatly

[zooplan]

Does it have 2 preoculars ( small scales at the front side of the eye) on each side?
Not even your snake but also the offered prey are rare and popular in Germany.
I would never feed fish like that because it would be a luxury here, but I´m not in Mexico. ;)
Do´nt mind your English it´s not my native language too.

[DEKAN]

Does it have 2 preoculars ( small scales at the front side of the eye) on each side?
Not even your snake but also the offered prey are rare and popular in Germany.
I would never feed fish like that because it would be a luxury here, but I´m not in Mexico. ;)
Do´nt mind your English it´s not my native language too.

Reallly?...here you can find this kind of fish like 5 per "peso" ( About 50 per dollar and 70 for one EURO) So it's really cheap :D

Uhhhmmm...I don't know about the eye, I'll check them later, now she's sunbathing and get's really active, so it would be hard to take a picture or just stare :rolleyes:

Nice...no eggs to look for, I hope she has a lot of babies :D

[DEKAN]

Here is the picture much closer...so you can see the eye :)

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/1118/s5000690kn9.th.jpg (http://img50.imageshack.us/my.php?image=s5000690kn9.jpg)

[adamanteus]

Hmmm....2 preoculars. Taking into account the other features and the geography this would suggest Thamnophis melanogaster canescens.:rolleyes:

[DEKAN]

FINALLY A VIDEO !!!! :D

That fish was in a struggle for It's life

So...I think I may need even more fish :p

Hope you like it...I was hidden, but my camera had a blur shot, so I had to wait till she attacked

The video:

(Compressed with Winrar 12 MB)
zSHARE - s5000692.rar (http://www.zshare.net/download/2637743b1830a8/)

(Video without compressing 13.3 MB)

zSHARE - s5000692.avi (http://www.zshare.net/video/2637915e0ba265/)

A friend of mine has a Thamnophis Radix, and he told me that his snake has been eating some chicken meat...do you know if it's healthy or a good resource for the diet?

On the species about Mexico...let me ask, cause there are some legal aspects in Mexico that we should consider, so we can avoid some troubles that may have on Mexican laws, shipment and export;)

I'm waiting till the guy who sell them with papers and waranty comes back, he's on a vacation trip :mad:

[DEKAN]

I think it's much easier to just watch it. Sorry to double post but the "Edit" button is gone =(

YouTube - Thamnophis eating a fish (underwater) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2pZ9bWVZpU)

[Lee]

Astounding to see it eat it underwater, I had no idea snakes could do that, wonderful video!

[Stefan-A]

Very nice video of the snake eating underwater. Thanks for posting it. :)

[zooplan]

Now I´m a little late, adamanteus said what I´m thinking.
Nice video, never seen a Garter snake diving like that.

BTW: Nice picture of a "Thamnophis curled up"
Fascinating clear shot!!

Although it seems that you are a beginner, you´ve made the comunity a little bit richer.

Thanks

[drache]

what a great video
it's so cool how she does that
thanks

[adamanteus]

Robert, further reading has lead me to believe that I was wrong with my initial identification...
Your snake is actually Thamnophis melanogaster melanogaster, and not T. m. canescens, as I originally thought. Sorry about that!:o