BIG surprise...........

[anji1971]

So today was a busy day for me. I worked, did the grocery shopping, weeded the garden, cleaned the patio furniture, and started preparing for the Father's Day barbecue I'm having tomorrow.
Around 7:30 this evening I finally got around to checking on the snakes and ..........Oh- My- Goodness............:eek:
LITTLE "CHILI PEPPERS"!!!!!:D
Yup, that's right.............11 little baby Chili's slithering and squirming all over the tank!
So I guess she was gravid after all.
I didn't think she was that big, but what do I know?
She refused her meal the other night and she shed yesterday, so I should have seen it coming. But I am SO surprised, and excited, and I had to tell everyone even though I'm far too exhausted tonight to take and post pics, and I still have a bazillion strawberries to dip in chocolate for tomorrow's dessert.
So hang on, and you'll all see them before Sunday is done!:)

[MoJo]

Woohoo! Congratulations!

[Snake lover 3-25]

CONGRATS!!!!!!!! wow 11 i hope sooty has that many!!!!:D:D:D:D:D

[Garter_Gertie]

CONGRATULATIONS, GRAN'MA!!!!

I've read - and cried - over what you have gone through recently and I'm SO HAPPY you've wee beebees to love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FANTASTIC!!!! CONGRTULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Stefan-A]

Congratulations, Anji! :)

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

YAYY CONGRATS, do they have the red too?

[drache]

Anji - congrats
that is so cool
can't wait to see the little guys

[Sid]

Congratulation Anji :D

[reptileparadise]

Congrats!
Now...where are those pictures? :D

[Gijs & Sabine]

Congrats, Anji :) That's great news!!

[Odie]

Congratulations :cool:
Were are the pics ;)

[infernalis]

Yahoo...... Wheee.......

Don't ya love it:):)

Congratulations.


All the best,
Wayne

[Zephyr]

Yay! Bebies all around! XD

[Snake lover 3-25]

come on anji!!!!! where are those pics!!!!!!!

[anji1971]

Here you go!!! Some of them do have the red in the sides, some don't have much colour other than olive green. It's hard to take good shots of the squiggly little buggers!:D
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/babysnakes_009.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/babysnakes_011.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/babysnakes_004.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/babysnakes_006.jpg

[Zephyr]

I like the one in the middle of the second pic. He looks angry. lol

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

very pretty, are you going to keep any?

[gregmonsta]

Congrats :) nice babies.

[adamanteus]

Congratulations, Anji! And welcome to the forum Mini-Chilli's!:D

[Loren]

Thats a nice bunch of garters.
:)

[drache]

they're pretty and alert looking
a nice litter

[Snake lover 3-25]

awwwww i hope mine are that cute!!!!!!!:D:D:D congrats they are adorable!!!!!!:D:D:D

[anji1971]

very pretty, are you going to keep any?

We're keeping 2 of them. I'm letting the kids pick them out and name them.
The rest will be released within the week. I can't keep that many, and it's illegal to ship them anywhere but in Canada, so it's probably easier to just let them go. There are a few protected areas around that they'd have a good chance in.
And a few of my kid's friends are asking their parents if it's okay to have one. I'll give them to the families I can trust to take good care of them.

[anji1971]

Here's a couple more pics. I'm going to try feeding them all tonight, and I'll take more pictures then.:)

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/June16-2008_034.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/June16-2008_033.jpg

[Snake lover 3-25]

they are so cute!!! what is that they're sitting on???:D:D

[lestat]

Very lovely little babies. If only i had a hellicoptor i would be over and have the ones you cant keep.

[MayorOgden]

Hoorah! They are adorable!

[jitami]

awww, too cute! What a nice surprise!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

awwwwwweee, little chili peppers!!!!

[anji1971]

they are so cute!!! what is that they're sitting on???:D:D

That's a hide I made out of an old cream cheese container! I just glue-gunned some leaves and burlap over it. :)

[Snake lover 3-25]

neat idea looks really cool!!!:D:D:D

[anji1971]

By the way,
Thanks everyone for the nice comments! It certainly has been a nice pick-me-up after all the stress and aggravation I've been through with snakes in the last few months.
I did manage to feed them tonight. Only 2 didn't eat, so we're off to a good start. I'll post a few feeding pics tomorrow when I have more time.:)

[Snake lover 3-25]

aww that's wonderful!!!! 9/11 is great for their first meal!!!!:D:D what did you feed them??? i'll have to use that for sooty's babies!!!:D:D

[anji1971]

Shanley, I just dug up a pile of teeny-tiny worms from the garden. Most of the babies ate one or two, and a few even went for a third. The two that my kids are keeping both ate three, and quite enthusiastically too!

[Odie]

They are adorable :cool:
Thanks for the pics :D

[beaniesmommy]

They are so cute! Congrats. :)

[anji1971]

My feeding pics didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, but here are a couple. These two are the one's my kid's are keeping.
The one with the worm wrapped around his head is my son's. His name is Checkers.
Megan called hers Inchworm.:D
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/June_17-2008_018.jpg
Here they are with full bellies...........so cute!
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/June_17-2008_020.jpg

[GartersRock]

Cute!!! =D

[Zephyr]

Wow. Leetle piggies.

[Snake lover 3-25]

awwwwww SOOOOO CUTE!!!!!!:D:D:D:D Congrats again!!!!

[MayorOgden]

Are you selling any of those cuties???

[anji1971]

Can't.:(
It's illegal to sell native species here, and illegal to ship across the border too.
Believe me, if I could, I'd send them to anyone on here who wanted one,because I'd be sure they'd have a nice safe life, but I'm not going to risk breaking laws.

[anji1971]

Okay, I'm such a sucker.:rolleyes:
I had *firmly* stated that we were keeping only 2 of the little cuties. Made sure the kids were clear on that.
So one of my non-eaters is different looking than all the rest. No noticeable red on the sides, and hardly any checkers. Even the dorsal stripe is very faint. And I want him.(I'm calling them all "hims" until I know for sure)!
So even though it means I'll be maxed out for space to keep snakes, and no- matter- what I find when we go on vacation in August I'll have to leave it behind, I think I'm gonna keep this one too.
Stupid addictive little buggers................:D:mad::D

[Jenlang_79]

Your too funny...they ARE addictive though!!! What a cool surprise!! Congradulations!! :);)

[Snake lover 3-25]

ut o... i hope that doesn't happen with sooty's!!!!! i can only keep one!!!!!!!:eek:

[jitami]

Anji, is he the one making an O in the middle of the second pic? You don't see his head, only his body in a loop? I noticed him when you posted pics. I think I'm really starting to like garters with little contrast/pattern. Interesting. I'd love to see more pics of "him" :)

[anji1971]

I don't know, Tami. He could be, but I didn't get all the babies in those pics, and I just noticed his lack of markings since he's been separated. Probably never would have otherwise with all those squirmy, wriggly things all over!

[jitami]

Ok, we definately need more pics of him then :)

[Lori P]

Oh, Anji, what cuties!!!!! Congrats on them!!!!

[anji1971]

Well, my last little baby ate last night. Just one little worm, but it's a start.:)

[adamanteus]

All eating! Great news Anji!:)

[drache]

congrats, Anji
it's nice to have them all eating

[anji1971]

More good news.............it looks like I've found a home for 3 of the little sweeties.
I have a friend who's turning out to be one of the best networkers for finding people who like snakes! 2 are going tonight, and I'm just waiting to hear from the people who want the other one.

[Garter_Gertie]

I just love happy endings! Good job, Anj!

[anji1971]

Thanks!:)
And today I found an interesting ad in our local classifieds. Somebody is starting a reptile sanctuary out in the county, and is looking for any unwanted/unable-to-care-for reptiles. So I sent him an email to see if he'd be interested in some baby garters too. We'll see if we can't get all these little guys a safe home!

[GartersRock]

Be really cautious with those reptile rescues in the classifieds/craigslist. Many are just looking for turn a profit from free snakes...

[anji1971]

It's okay, he actually didn't want any native species anyway!
So we're back to releasing them...........oh, well.

[anji1971]

Just a little update!
The remaining babies were released on Monday. Same place I found Chili.
And here's a cool little story...........
We went with 6 snakelets. As we were walking, we stopped to talk to a man on a bike, with a young girl. They were frog hunting, and paused to look at the baby snakes, and ask a few questions. Then we each went on our way.
5 minutes down the trail, I see the same man, this time with 2 girls and a small boy as well. The kids all come a-running..........."We wanna see the snakes!!!"
So again it's show and tell, and the oldest girl says wistfully to her Grandpa, "Pepe, it's too bad we can't have one.........."
So off we all go again.
Another 5 minutes down the trail, and we're nearly at the pond, our destination.
And there, on a bench is Pepe, the kids, and now they're joined by Meme as well. And this time, they all come running with big smiles. "We can have one! Meme said it's okay! Can we have one? Pleeeeeaaassseeee???"
So I gave Mim&Pip a crash course on garter snake care, and pushed this forum on them:D, and we let the little boy pick a snake to take home.
So in the end, we released only 5 little snakies. Over half of them found a nice home. Not too shabby.
Now if only I had time to hang around there more often. I may have been able to adopt them all out!!

And I'll be starting a new thread for the 3 babies I kept myself. We'll track 'em as they grow up!:cool:

[Snake lover 3-25]

aww that's cute!!!:D:D

[Garter_Gertie]

That is a WONDERFUL story, Anji! That little boy will always remember you and you may have help create a budding herpatologist.