Hi!

[todaelaguadelmar]

Hi, i just got here ´cause i got a Garter Snake by some sort of accident, i am a vet student in Mexico, and the snake is not native of my country, so i need a lot of info and advice, his name is Eivar, and he was dumped by his former owners.
He is just gorgeous and i want to keep him i good conditions.
Thanks.

[adamanteus]

Hi Sarahi, and welcome to the forum.:)
Here's a link to our basic care sheet, but pictures would help if you want an ID!
http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet

[Sid]

Hello Sarahi and welcome to the forum. Here is a link to the general care and housing of Garters, hope it helps. http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet
If you have questions not covered there, ask away. Someone here will be ready with a good answer for you.

[anji1971]

Hello, and welcome!! You'll know everything you need to know and then some with this forum!! Enjoy your 'accidental' pet!:D

[ssssnakeluvr]

welcome to the forum!! photos would help with identifying the snake...there are garter snakes in Mexico....many of us want to get some of the species down there as they are pretty snakes!!!

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard. :)

[todaelaguadelmar]

Hi Sarahi, and welcome to the forum.:)
Here's a link to our basic care sheet, but pictures would help if you want an ID!
http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet
Thanks a lot, i already checked the basic care sheet, and the pictures are helpful, but i´m still in trouble with the precise ID, i´m not understading why there is something called light phase for the T. radix, the snake i´ve got resembles a lot, but it also resembles to the T. sirtralis sirtralis, i´ll be trying to take a picture to show you, anyway it´s a relief to find out there´s plenty of resources here.
Thanx again.

[todaelaguadelmar]

Thanx to everyone, i feel welcome already.
Yes we have beautiful garter snakes in Mexico, in fact i know some of the species, and they are all beautiful, but i found out that with this snake i had trouble identifying it, and we have to look up for it in the internet... the rest is history, he hadn´s ate since we got him, we had to force him, we tried insects (alive) and frogsof course he refused, we´ll still be trying small fish this week.
Thanks everyone.
if i can help anyone, i speak (and write) spanish (native speaker), english, and french.

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Sarahi :)

[adamanteus]

When you take that picture, this link might help you to get it onto the forum.
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/site-feedback-suggestions-questions/1008-guide-posting-pictures.html
Any Mexican species you find, must be packaged and mailed to me immediately!:D

[drache]

hi Sarahi
welcome to our forum
don't force the snake to eat just yet - especially not insects (they can't digest them)
they don't need to eat often, so getting it to settle in and relaxed is more important right now
the snake will probably eat when it's hungry and no longer stressed
nice to meet you

[Lori P]

Hi Sarahi! Welcome to the forum, hope we can help you to get your snake all settled in for you! :-)

[count dewclaw]

Hello and welcome, Sarahi!

[Snaky]

Welcome to the forum and have fun here. You indeed have some marvelous garters in Mexico...

[todaelaguadelmar]

dear Adamanteus:
i´d like to tell u i´ve found it, but in fact he found me, his owners got him (i never knew how or where from) and then, they got a puppy and decided that snakes arent´fun.
They just stopped paying attention to it, but the owner didn´t wanted to give it away...the girlfriend gave it to my friend, but he already got geckos and tarantulas, and he asked me to keep it; he couldn´t ID it either ´cause it´s quite different to our mexican species.
I hope we can help him and keep him healthy.

Greetings form Mexico.

[adamanteus]

Any luck with those photos yet, Sarahi? I'm interested to see what you got!
I think someone mentioned already, but I wouldn't consider force-feeding just yet.... not until it is necessary to save the snakes life. If you offer small, live fish, trout pieces, nightcrawlers and pinkies, and leave the food in with him overnight, he should be tempted to eat.

By the way, we have another member from Mexico....'DEKAN'

[Snake lover 3-25]

also you could try tilapia and salmon!!! Good luck and welcome!!!

[gregmonsta]

Greetings :D

[todaelaguadelmar]

We tried first pinkies, and he refused, we tried them for 3 days, and nothing, he spent almost a month with us without eating (we tried insects, frogs (small albine Xenopus) and they are now all good friends....), and he started loosing weight, that´s why we forced him. the only thing we missed is fish, we´ll be trying it this weekend and then i´ll get the photos, it´s been hard to me, ´cause i´ve hurt my leg and i can´t walk a lot :( .

[adamanteus]

Sorry about the leg. What happened?
Have you checked that all the other environmental factors are correct in his viv? You know..... temperature gradient, humidity, fresh water, availability of hides etc. Sometimes they can be put off eating if their environment isn't correct.

[todaelaguadelmar]

i´ve got to visit the doctor today, but i got some photos, (sorry, i used my mobile),i don´t know hoe to post them, hope u can help me. The environmental factors, we´re keeping him in a tank with fresh water, half of the tank near the sun rays, and he´s got a little cave, we´re looking forward to provide better conditions as soon as we get mode data.
thanks.

[ssssnakeluvr]

He needs a dry tank...with water bowl for water. too humid and it will cause skin blisters and can eventually death. you can go to the gallery and set up one...then download the pictures there. then when you do a post, you go to the gallery and click on the copy to clipboard link, and past it into the post....there is a link somewhere that tells you how to download pics..not sure where it is right off.....

[todaelaguadelmar]

ok thanks.

[ssssnakeluvr]

you're welcome!!!! looking forward to the picws and helping you!! :D

[todaelaguadelmar]

Finally, u can check the pics. plase chech my gallery, the albun is EIVAR.
Thanks to everyone.

[ssssnakeluvr]

nice looking snake (even tho its blurry) looks healthy. not sure on the species yet tho...would you happen to know the location the snake was found at??

[todaelaguadelmar]

unfortunately, we could only trace it´s origin to some kind of flea market, but here in Mexico City too :(

[adamanteus]

Here is the link to posting pictures. Hope it helps.
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/site-feedback-suggestions-questions/1008-guide-posting-pictures.html

[todaelaguadelmar]

Thanks a lot adamanteus, if i succeded, u can watch my albun now, EIVAR.
Thanks a lot.

[ssssnakeluvr]

they need some time to adjust to captivity. also, they can't eat insects as they are unable to digest the exoskeleton.

[drache]

also
just because he didn't want something a month ago, doesn't mean he won't have it now - he's a little hungrier now
so you could try something you haven't tried in a while (not the insects though)
pretty snake btw