Why are red sided garters so expensive and hard to find?

[lupegirl8]

I've been looking at possibly getting a garter snake in the future and really like red sided garters. However when I look at garter snakes for sale there don't seem to be many red sideds and they are usually more expensive than the other species. But if I'm not mistaken red sided garters are a fairly common species. Is it simply a matter of most red sideds being captive bred whereas other species are more commonly wild caught, or is there something special about red sideds that makes them difficult to breed?

Sorry if this is a stupid question, I keep spotted turtles but am all new to the world of snakes.

[guidofatherof5]

May I ask where you have been looking to buy?

[kueluck]

Are you talking California Red-Sided (Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis) or Red Sided (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis),

[rattus knits]

At zoo creatures in plaistow, NH they have a red-sided garter (or red spotted? the guy i spoke to was a volunteer and seemed confused....) but it was $350 (compared to $25 for a ribbon snake) i believe and he was saying that they are hard to get since they are only found in a couple states and not many people breed them in captivity which apparently garter breeding in general is only for a select few herpers <in the gran scheme of things>because most herpers want "exotic" and one even told a garter snake breeder that he "didn't want to pay for something that he could get from his yard if he really wanted to" So i think it's in part a mix of high demand <again relatively> and a low supply.

[Dan72]

I'm not sure what you have without a pic, but NO WAY on what that guy is asking. Look at some of the breeders on the forum here, then you can find what you're looking for from people that know what they are doing.

[chris-uk]

The shop is a rip off, plain and simple. Sounds like you were actually looking at a California Red-sided or a Red-Spotted, in which case there's some truth in what you were told, they do only come from a few states (but that could be said for a number of species).
Garter breeders aren't as easy to find as royal python or corn snake breeders, but you're in the right place now to find a better person to source a garter from.

[Saji]

They really arent.

[d_virginiana]

I've seen CA red-sideds (infernalis) go for a pretty high price, but not parietalis. If that guy had a parietalis $350 is just a ripoff. Honestly, with some slight exceptions (infernalis and similis can be a bit nippy) most species of garters act the same. Unless you have your heart set on working with a particular species or breeding, there's really not a whole lot of difference.

[Saji]

Why would you want an Infernalis when you can have a Radix :-)

[lupegirl8]

I wasn't aware there was a difference between CA red sided garters and red sided garters (like I said I'm totally new to this). The reason I was so interested in those was for the bright red and turquoise coloring.

[guidofatherof5]

I wasn't aware there was a difference between CA red sided garters and red sided garters (like I said I'm totally new to this). The reason I was so interested in those was for the bright red and turquoise coloring.

That answers the question as to which snake you were talking about.
Looks like Scott F. has a few for sale.

Scott Felzer's Garter Snakes, specializing in aberrant garters (http://www.albinogartersnake.com/pricing.htm)

[chris-uk]

Infernalis are a fantastic species. My infernalis girls are not the friendliest snakes I keep, they like to be in their viv and are skittish for a minute if I take them out, but they settle quickly. They have been one of the easiest to feed as well. And they look beautiful.
Parietalis are fine, and some of the lines bred for red have a lot of red. They aren't infernalis though. :-)