Housing

[bkhuff1s]

Just to make sure, can you house males together? Some other species gets very aggressive...

[jitami]

If they're similar in size, go for it :) Feed separately, tho. They don't get aggressive, but can have a misguided feeding response.

[infernalis]

I have one large tank with 2 male garters and 3 female dekays for almost 3 years no problems.

They all feed in my hands, so there is never any food accidents.

[Zephyr]

I have a tank full of male garters; I feed them in the enclosure, too. Just make sure you monitor everyone closely at feeding time and keep all their little mouths full.

[drache]

I like housing them in groups of three
that number works for me, where I can still feed them in their enclosure without too much stress

[infernalis]

Groups of 3 or 4 work best (for me), excluding the one tank with 5.

Neonates (Baby snakes) I cluster as many as 20 in a 10 gallon, but they are always moving, so the numbers go down in time.

[jitami]

Rhea, Kyle, and anyone else feeding groups in their enclosure, are you hand/tong feeding or are you putting food in the enclosure on a dish/dishes?

[Zephyr]

Rhea, Kyle, and anyone else feeding groups in their enclosure, are you hand/tong feeding or are you putting food in the enclosure on a dish/dishes?Hand/tong feeding, but seeing as I'm trying to bulk everyone up for brumation, I've been putting feeder fish/worms in dishes for them as well.

[drache]

Rhea, Kyle, and anyone else feeding groups in their enclosure, are you hand/tong feeding or are you putting food in the enclosure on a dish/dishes?
tong feeding here
I have everything ready, including two tongs
it helps me to feel less stressed, if I can lure the snakes into different corners of the tank
usually I take out any decorations that obstruct my view
I just hate it when a snake I've just lured half-way across the tank, grabs the food and slithers backwards back into the hide, where her roomies are just starting to get excited about the smell
the tongs allow me the kind of distance that enables me to keep an eye on the entire tank and its inhabitants

[infernalis]

Since almost all of our snakes will eat while being held, I myself find it very entertaining to pick them up, feed them and then return them to the cage.

[drache]

Since almost all of our snakes will eat while being held, I myself find it very entertaining to pick them up, feed them and then return them to the cage.
there's only so many snakes one can hold at once . . .

[jitami]

tong feeding here
I have everything ready, including two tongs
it helps me to feel less stressed, if I can lure the snakes into different corners of the tank
usually I take out any decorations that obstruct my view
I just hate it when a snake I've just lured half-way across the tank, grabs the food and slithers backwards back into the hide, where her roomies are just starting to get excited about the smell
the tongs allow me the kind of distance that enables me to keep an eye on the entire tank and its inhabitants

Thanks for the in depth explanation Rhea! I think I'm going to try this route with my adults. I use and enjoy Wayne's method for the babies :)

[infernalis]

there's only so many snakes one can hold at once . . .

Interesting point:D

I guess is what I was trying to say is that in the same amount of time it would take to remove hides, tong feed in different corners, etc....

I can pick up 1 snake, stuff his mouth, return him, pick up another and move right along.

It also seems a little more "personal" since really no one in this house "plays" with any of the snakes.

So the only time they receive any handling is feedings and cage cleanings.

we do have a few "timid" critters, I just tong feed them and move on.

Once upon a time we mass fed, but after 2 fatal food fights had a real serious change of opinion on that.....

Both incidents involved baby snakes, one broke it's siblings neck fighting over food, and the other was 2 snakes on one worm, when they met in the middle it was not a pretty thing, separating this mess resulted in esophagus damage and a slower more painful death.

[Snake lover 3-25]

:( that stinks:9 i've had 2 babies fight over one worm... so i just moved them away enough to get a pair of scisors in there and cut the worm in half...... now i only feed 4 at once..... much easier than 6-8..... now there is a corner for all of them:)