catching a garter snake

[codyy]

can anyone tell me the types of garters in oklahoma?i cant find on the internet and where are places to look to catch on and when can i start? by places to look i mean(trees, under rocks.so on.)thanks

[adamanteus]

You have T. sirtalis, T. marcianus and in Northern Oklahoma I think you have T. radix.
Try this link.
snakefinder (http://www.gartersnake.de/snakefinder/snakefinder.html)

[codyy]

cant read the language on it lol,and,would dirt be bad for the ground?i was thinking a few inches of dirt and then my bark(i have a tall aquarium)and them bury my water bowl so itl liek a lake

[adamanteus]

The only 'language' you need worry about is the scientific names of the species, Cody. Click on the name and it shows you that species' distribution on the map.
sirtalis is the Eastern Garter
marcianus is the Checkered Garter
radix is the Plains Garter

Dirt is a bad idea, there might be all kinds of nasty bugs and germs in there, plus it will get into the water and foul it up. You're better off with just your sterile bark.

[codyy]

ok,i really hope i can catch a garter snake this year, the only problem is theres like 4 tiems rattle snake and water moccasins we found then garter snakes :S ive been waiting 2 months know i wish my dad would just leme buy one, are there any snakes in oklahoma that are like water snakes

[adamanteus]

Yeah, I think you have the Northern Water Snake, Nerodia sipedon..... but you must be careful, to the untrained eye it could easily resemble the Water Moccasin! You don't want to get those two confused!:eek:

[codyy]

ok thanks i want a ribbon snake the most though

[adamanteus]

You have Ribbons in Oklahoma too.... T. proximus.

[codyy]

cool where would i look for them? neer water,under logs?rock?

[adamanteus]

cool where would i look for them? neer water,under logs?rock?

Yeah, all of those! Under debris is usually the easiest. I think it's still a little early in the year yet, though. I'm not too sure about your weather, as I'm in the UK, but later this evening there will be a lot more US members on line, they'll be better able to advise you on seasons.

[codyy]

well, these last few days has been 48-55 degrees fand i lookd around the day before yesterdya and didnt see anything i wsa thinkin bout tryin again in marchhow how are babie mouse to feed snakes?

[adamanteus]

Baby mice (pinkies) are a great food for Garters, you'll find most of our members use them as a large part of their snakes' diet. Also fish (whole or strips) and night crawlers are good food. If you're going to use whole, live fish, avoid Goldfish, as they're toxic. Better to offer Rosies or Guppies. Personally I only use trout strips.

[Sid]

Welcome to the forum, Cody. The following are Garter and Ribbon snakes that are native to OK.:

Thamnophis cyrtopsis—black-necked garter snake
T. elegans—wandering garter snake
T. marcianus—checkered garter snake
T. proximus—western ribbon snake
T. radix—plains garter snake
T. sirtalis—red-sided and Texas garter snakes

Hope this helps.

[Tori]

When the outside temperatures reach 60 - 65 you can expect to run into garters somewhere. You might see one or two now, but they won't stay out. They will be sunning, try looking for a sunny spot near water, usually early in the day between 8 and 11 am or later in the afternoon 3 to 5 pm. I'm just going by the best times here. Good luck.

[codyy]

lke, any day it is 60-65? even if the day beforeit was cold? or liek every day 60-65?

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

hi there codyy. this time of year is a bit early for snakes yet. But you may occasionally see one. if you wait another month or two when temps are steadily 60 and above, you will start seeing them everywhere! I always wake up at 5-6 AM (with the sun) and go out then. garters and ribbons always come out in the earily morning and sun themselves for a few hours before crawling back to their hide or going off in search of food. So, during the morning, look out in the open. after 10 or 11 AM... start looking near water and under logs, rocks, etc... in the late afternoon the snakes usually come back out and sunbathe/hunt some more.

hope this helps you out some, this is the way i have always looked for snakes and it has always worked very well for me. I find on average, 50 garters a day in the summer time. (thats not an exxageration lol!)

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Codyy :)

[codyy]

woah 50? where do you live?,thanks ill try earliee

[mycolorfulheart]

You have T. sirtalis, T. marcianus and in Northern Oklahoma I think you have T. radix.
Try this link.
snakefinder (http://www.gartersnake.de/snakefinder/snakefinder.html)

That's an awesome link! Makes me wish i lived in mexico though :D

[Loren]

Hi Cody. Welcome.
To find garters, do like the others said and look around water, but especially, look for their food. try to find places with water- ponds, creeks, and lakes, where there are small fish, frogs, and tadpoles. Look around the whole area, especially near the waters edge.
If you can find a secluded area with water and a food source, and the weather is nice, you have a great chance of finding a garter or ribbon.