Found a snake...I thinks it's a garter

[Purple flippers]

Hi, just signed up here because I want to be as educated as possible about this. A friend found a baby snake a couple days ago, I live in PA and we have had a hell of a winter. Still lots of snow on the ground and more on the way this week, but we had a fluke couple of 50degree days. I guess the little guy got confused and came out to see the world. Lol. Not sure if he would have been ok in his own but my friend grabbed him up and put him in an empty cleaned out ice cream container. Knowing I love animals of all kinds she called me and asked if I would take it. Since I had a spare 10gallon tank I went to the pet store to see what I would need. The first store sold me small crickets and a container of red wigglers. Told me those should de the trick. And papertowels on the bottom of the tank would be fine. The second store told me if the worms and crickets don't work feeder Rosies would. So I bought them. They also said aquarium stones would be best for the bottom of the tank. Being over protective by nature I double checked on the advise given at the stores. Found an article saying red wigglers are toxic to Garter snakes and they won't eat crickets. Funny story is my fiancé had already placed a cricket in the tank and the snake and cricket were hanging out together under the half log thing I bought him. Lol. So we pulled out the cricket and put a container filled with water in the cage with the Rosies. It has been two days and he hasn't eaten anything. My questions are, is the tank set up well: aquarium peddles on the bottom. A water bowl hurried in the peddles so it is even same thing with a container with water and three feeder fish. A small half log for him to crawl under. That's it. Also, I need to know if it's ok that he hasn't eaten. Since I figured he's scared I haven't handled him since getting the tank set up. Just letting him have his own space. But he hasn't eaten and I am worried. Also, is he a garter snake? I have no idea but his pic is my profile pic. And I guess the only other thing I can say is his name is Jake the snake and I think I love him already ❤️

[infernalis]

The snake in your profile picture looks like a Dekayi snake.. it's hard to tell because the photo is so small.

I cheated and gave you a few extra posts in your post count so you can immediately post a full size picture on the forum.

Please remove the crickets from the snake's enclosure, as they do not eat insects and the crickets will only stress the snake out.

Red wigglers are the wrong kind of worms too.. You want night crawlers, will have to cut into smaller pieces.

Anyway before we get the proverbial cart in front of the horse, let's get a proper ID on the species, please post a larger photo to this thread, and.......

http://www.varanid.us/mat.jpg

[chris-uk]

Welcome aboard. Let's see a photo and get you some good advice (sounds like the stores you've been too have been quite, quite wrong... grrrrr).

And don't worry about the not eating. A couple of days is nothing, whether it's a garter or Dekayi.

[snakeman]

Totally normal.my friend found two garters today and it's 30 degrees.

[slipknot711]

waiting on pictures... yeah im in RI and we had a few days in the low 50s. but night crawlers cut up will be great. they shouldnt actually be constantly fed on rosies, but if it gets it to start eating a few wont hurt.

[ConcinusMan]

These winter "garter snakes" that turn up in the NE almost always turn out to be not garters at all, but Northern brown snakes/dekayi.

[ConcinusMan]

Totally normal.my friend found two garters today and it's 30 degrees.

Yeah, and I was seeing them out all through January but it was way above normal temps and sunny most of the month. zonata were out too, just a few weeks ago, 60 miles east of me, then 2 days later we got a blizzard. Been cold and rainy ever since. Now that things are back to normal, ironically I will probably see fewer snakes this year out in March and April than I did in January and FEB.

[Purple flippers]

I can't figure out how to send a pic

[Purple flippers]

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/attachments/garter-snake-lounge/10242d1393333353-found-snake-i-thinks-its-garter-image.jpg

10242

[chris-uk]

The photo is a bit blurry but I'm seeing a Storeria dekayi rather than a garter.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=storeria+dekayi

From memory, it's diet is pretty much earthworms and slugs, they are often out in colder weather than a garter, and... that's the extent of my memory. Other than that, Infernalis is the resident expert on Dekayi.

[guidofatherof5]

Probably dekayi but I'm more concerned with the head and eye area. Something doesn't look right.

[chris-uk]

I can't work out whether the head is a just at a funny angle.

[slipknot711]

i thought the same thing. i thought it was just the quality of the photo

[guidofatherof5]

Looks like possible bug eyes also. Reminds me of some of my bad gene checkers. Something isn't right.

[chris-uk]

Looks like possible bug eyes also. Reminds me of some of my bad gene checkers. Something isn't right.

Hard to tell with the image quality.

[Purple flippers]

Sadly, Jake didn't make it. He died only a few hours after I took that last picture. Thank you for all of your help. It's amazing how much I cared about him after only being with him a few days. Thank you all again for your help.

[guidofatherof5]

Sorry to hear the bad news.
Thanks for taking the young one in and doing what you could. I think there were some issues there even a seasoned veteran would have had trouble with. Hope you will be sticking around and consider trying again.

[ConcinusMan]

It's a dekayi. Snake looks to be poor health. There's nothing wrong in the head area, it's just the view of the head is partially blocked by pebbles. I would get the snake off those pebbles right away. Use newspaper if you have to. Pebbles / aquarium substrate is a breeding ground for bacteria and will cause health issues pretty quickly.

[Purple flippers]

It makes me sick that someone from a pet store told me to use the pebbles. I bought two bags from her and that probably contributed if not completely cause his death. Now I feel awful for even taking him in because perhaps he stood a better chance on his own. This is awful.

[ConcinusMan]

It makes me sick that someone from a pet store told me to use the pebbles. I bought two bags from her and that probably contributed if not completely cause his death.

I can say with confidence...

http://i62.tinypic.com/2wefgo5.jpg

The snake was probably already terminal. You have not had it long enough for husbandry to be a factor. It was as good as dead when you found it. Not your fault.

[Purple flippers]

I can say with confidence...



The snake was probably already terminal. You have not had it long enough for husbandry to be a factor. It was as good as dead when you found it. Not your fault.




Thank you. I still feel aweful. But I tried to help the little guy.

[ConcinusMan]

Sometimes while brumating, if they become very ill or are dying, they will come out into the open. That is often the case when a snake is found out in the open in winter. They simply leave the den to die, or when they're dying they fail to go into their den when cold weather hits in fall, and just stay out. That's probably when you found it. Then people try to "rescue" them and they die anyway within hours or days. (because they were already dying)

No doubt in my mind it was dying when you found it so there's nothing you could do. It looked horrible and there's no way it got like that in the short time you had it. Had to have been ill a while long before you found it, to get in that shape.

The thing about using pebbles/gravel is, it just gets damp, breeds bacteria, and causes blistering/skin infections which are treatable once conditions are corrected and antiseptic is applied. It's not something that's going to kill it in a few days or weeks.

[slipknot711]

Thank you. I still feel aweful. But I tried to help the little guy.

Don't let this scare you away from being a garter owner. hang around here. learn as much as you can and maybe in the spring or summer you can find another little one to love.

[Purple flippers]

Don't let this scare you away from being a garter owner. hang around here. learn as much as you can and maybe in the spring or summer you can find another little one to love.


I definately plan on learning more, and accurate information. And trying again sometime. I appreciate all the advise and information from this forum and I will stick around to learn more so I know what I am doing next time.

[ConcinusMan]

I think you'll find that they are very easy to keep, provided they aren't very ill when you get them, as that brown snake was. Just remember next time you see that same species, it's not a garter snake. Easiest way to tell is the head is different and the stripe is much wider.

Brown snake (storeria dekayi)


http://www.thirdeyeherp.com/spuck/ohio/2008/dekays2.jpg

garter snakes:

http://i61.tinypic.com/21kzdar.jpg

http://magickcanoe.com/snakes/garter-snake-head-1-large.jpg

[slipknot711]

as much as I love garters, brownies are cuties too!! and don't musk me!

[guidofatherof5]

as much as I love garters, brownies are cuties too!! and don't musk me!

They are an awesome snake.