New member with questions

[Lumpy]

Hey all,

While working in the garden yesterday, my wife came across this little guy. I haven't seen a Garder snake in years, I must not hang out at the right places.

So here's the question. Are caught snakes good pets and is it fair to make him a captive guest? He seems to have made his home in the corner of the house, and my fear is running over him while mowing when he's out and about.

I've never owned a snake, but I have had Carolina Anoles I've caught.

Thanks for any info!

Lump

http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/9325/2232251410065220144S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2232251410065220144APjECH)

http://inlinethumb52.webshots.com/43059/2720022200065220144S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2720022200065220144hezgma)

[adamanteus]

Hi Greg, and welcome to the forum.:)
It's an Eastern Garter Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis.... and I think she's gravid.

[dashnu]

My two easterns were caught as babies almost a year ago. They are doing great as "pets" I am not so sure how she would do seeing she has lived her entire life in the wild. I am sure someone here with more experience will give you better advise, I am pretty new to.

Anyways welcome to the forum!

[adamanteus]

Wild caught Garters generally do very well in captivity. As you are new to snake keeping, the imminent babies might be a problem for you.

[Lumpy]

Double post, sorry

[Lumpy]

Babies? And I named Gary!

So is there pre-launch I need to do for her?

Lump

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard, Greg. That't a very nice gravid female eastern. :D

[Zephyr]

Babies? And I named Gary!

So is there pre-launch I need to do for her?

Lump
From personal experience with easterns... You're looking at around 30 babies with that girl. In about... 2-3 weeks. Easterns tame down great as pets, but through recognizing you as a food provider as opposed to handling. She looks an awful lot like the female I found last night. XD
Also, welcome aboard! Good to see more Michiganders on here. :P
As for feeding her, she'll settle down a lot quicker if you offer her worms.
The babies can be fed chopped worm bits with reptocal/vitamin powder as a supplement.
**Edit- Also, check the sides. You've got one of our almost state-exclusive "Northeastern" phase easterns. :P

[jeanette]

Hi Lumpy and welcome :)
congrats on getting a beautiful gravid Garter :)

[Lumpy]

Know not much at all about snakes, would I keep the family all together, or do I need to separate them from her? Is there a resource about rearing young? If she is going to have a family, I really would worry about mowing right by where she's been hanging out. I thought she just wandered off to the corner of the house for some protection, but since she's been there all yesterday and today, I'm guessing that's home for her.

Lump

[Lumpy]

Oh, and thanks for the welcomes! I can tell I am among experts!

Lump

[jeanette]

she might well have made her home there im afraid you have 3 options i think. the others will correct me if im wrong. NO.1 let her go back where you found her and dont mow the lawn. NO.2 take her to the nearest bit of land with water and greenery where she wont be disturbed by urban living. NO.3 keep her and pick everyones brains on how to deal with a gravid female and then her babies when they are born.

[adamanteus]

If you were to release her, I would recommend that you move her well away from people/mowers etc.
If you choose to keep her, you will need to separate her from the babies when they arrive.
Their care is similar to that of the adults... only in miniature. Your resource is right here on this marvellous forum.:D

[Lumpy]

Thanks for all the quick replies. Shoot I feel responsible for her now. She's right by our bird feeders, which also is a favorite hang out for a hawk.

In a house with 3 cats, 2 dogs and 50 parrots, what's one more mouth to feed, right?

Lump

[gregmonsta]

Lucky stuff :)

[CrazyHedgehog]

50 Parrots :eek:
OMG And I thought our cats got noisy!!

[adamanteus]

In a house with 3 cats, 2 dogs and 50 parrots, what's one more mouth to feed, right?

Lump

Do you have a Norwegian Blue? Beautiful plumage.....:D

[Lumpy]

We had over 100 at one time. You get used to the yappin. Generally noisey early morning, then settle in. At night they are quite.

Except our African Grey. He talks all day long....

On the Garder note..

Do I need to provide a water dish as well as worms?

Thanks for all the help, BTW!

Lump

[jeanette]

Thanks for all the quick replies. Shoot I feel responsible for her now. She's right by our bird feeders, which also is a favorite hang out for a hawk.

In a house with 3 cats, 2 dogs and 50 parrots, what's one more mouth to feed, right?

Lump
and i thought i was over run with animals and reptiles. I like parrots however, just i find birds high maintenence, how do you manage 50 of them? :)

[adamanteus]

Water is an absolute must!
Have a read through this for starters....
http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet

[Lumpy]

adamanteus,

No, we have paired down quite a few birds. My wife and I bred, hand fed and raised then sold them.

A short list of our birds these days would be:

An African Grey
Blue Fronted Amazon
Sun Conures
Quaker
Love Birds
Cockatiels
Budgies

All together, around 50 birds. I built a flight in my basement years ago. They house the Tiels, Love Birds and Keets. The rest have their own private accomidations.

Lump

[adamanteus]

That's a lot of birds! Love the African Greys.:)

[jeanette]

ive just found a home for the 2 cockatiels that were with me because they were unwanted, they are nice birds with great characters. i just felt i was giving them enough attention, and they were only with me temporarily to start with :)

[Lumpy]

Our Grey (Tucker) was hatched on the millenium, so that's kinda cool. I got him from a breeder i met from Louisiana. Had him air shipped to us. He's very socialized, and luckily, hasn't picked up and bad verbal habits, if you know what I mean.

Lump

[Stefan-A]

That's a lot of birds! Love the African Greys.:)
A distant relative of the Norwegian Blue? ;)

[Lumpy]

Jeanette,

50 birds are easier than 100!

Tiels are great first birds. Very social and even dispositioned. Can't say that about some of the bigger birds. I sport a scar under my lip where our Blue Fronted bit right through it during one of his tempramental moments.

Tiels are also probably the most aerodynamic birds there are. They are strong and built for flight. I've seen tiels with trimmed wings take flight.

Lump

[Lumpy]

I think John Cleese was the only owner of the fabled Norwegian Blue....

Lump

[jeanette]

John cleese and the dead parrot sketch ? its gone to meet its maker. its run up the curtain and gone to join the choir invisible.
my mum has a small scar on her face where her umbrella cockatoo decided it wanted my mums biscuit and she wasnt sharing lol

[adamanteus]

I once saw a Blue and Gold Macaw nip off a guys thumb-nail.... nasty.

[jeanette]

I once saw a Blue and Gold Macaw nip off a guys thumb-nail.... nasty.
they have quite a temper but they really are beautiful :)

[Lumpy]

Cockatoos are great birds. A friend of mine has a Moluccan he hand raised. Cockatoos demand attention, and if they don't get it, they tend to develop behavioral problems. They are great chewers too.

Lump

[Lumpy]

Blue and Golds like to test you. Same with Quakers. They need to be handled quite a bit. Any large parrot can lay the smackdown if they so desire. I've been bloodied more times than I care to remember. It's an electric pain that I don't cotton to. But, exotic birds are just that. Even hand raised ones still have the "wild" still in their genes.

Lump

[Lori P]

My mom has an African Grey that we rescued... he lived 8 years in basic solitary confinement, never out of his cage, stuck in a back bedroom with the door shut because he was "mean". Well, the things that have come out of this bird's mouth now that he's got a life... omg!! Those old owners have NO secrets from us now!!

And just the other day he started belching... rofl... my dad is so embarrassed because we know who he's imitating!! Guess it could be worse...

Welcome to the group Lump... your snake is beautiful, I hope she settles in well for you!!

[Lumpy]

Ours doesn't belch, but he does cough and clear his throat. He tells the dogs to "Kennel up!", whistles and calls the cats. Has a bevy of things he says. He's good at sound effects. More than once he's tricked me into thinking my Nextel 2 way was beeping. He can replicate the microwave timer too.

He's a piece of work.

Have you been able to handle him, or is he still bitey? It takes some time and patience, but you can tame him down.

Thanks for the welcome! I put a heating pad under part of the aquarium and set it to low, added a bowl of water and fashioned a box for a hiding spot until I get more suitable accomidations for her.

Lump

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

yes yes yes! you must provide your snake with water! I have a new WC garter also, shes a great big oaf of a snake... but as you can see here she has settled in well and i am 90% sure she's gonna be a momma! this pic is from when i first caught her in early spring... but her back end.. it's well, huge now!!!



http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/aSnakeLovinBabe/Snakes/Garters/bandit8002.jpg

[Lumpy]

How about feeding? How much and how often? Are nightcrawlers their main source in the wild? What about beetles and moths, stuff like that?

Lump

[Snake lover 3-25]

VERY CUTE!!!!!!!!:D:D:D also about the babies you can see the recent baby threads GOOD LUCK!!!!!:D:D:D

[Sid]

How about feeding? How much and how often? Are nightcrawlers their main source in the wild? What about beetles and moths, stuff like that?

Lump
Worms, fish and toads are their main diet in the wild. Garters don't eat insects. I would try it on pinkie mice and see if it will take them. Welcome to the forum, by the way. This is a link to the general Garter care from the forum article section. http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet

[Lumpy]

Do most buy frozen pinkie mice?

Lump

[Snake lover 3-25]

yeah i think most of us do..... at least those of us who don't breed the mice them selves..... :D

[Loren]

Hi Lump. Nice to have you here.
You might also consider picking out just a few of the nicest babies to raise, assuming she has them ok, and then release the rest of them somewhere safe, so you can consentrate on just a few snakes. Be aware though, that in some states, it is illegal to release any captive animal.

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Greg :)

[anji1971]

Hello, and welcome!
That is a very nice Eastern you've found. :)
Somewhere in this forum there is a thread for people's 'other pets'. If you find it, you should post some of your birds for us.
I'm trying to get through a couple hundred posts that I missed while being antisocial for a couple days, or I'd find it for you!:o

[drache]

yes please
do post some photos of your birds, Greg
here's the thread:
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/garter-snake-lounge/167-how-about-some-pics-your-other-pets.html

[Lumpy]

Ok, first chance I get, I'll post a few for everyone.

Lump