My new baby

[car24]

Hi,

Two days ago I rescued a baby snake at my work. (They poison and kill everything that gets into the cellars so I grabbed him fast) We all think its a garter but now looking at picks in the gallery, it may be a ribbon. I read that California does not have wild ribbons. Is that true? I will post a pick later. He is very very small but is eating tinny fish like a champ. Question: Can I feed him wild frogs once he is big enough or could they make him sick? (along with fish, worms, etc..)

[Garter_Gertie]

Welcome, Car! Nice to have you with us.

Can you post a picture of your new baby to help those who know identify the snake?

[infernalis]

If it is eating fishies, it is most likely a Thamnophis or Nerodia species.

Good job getting it out of there:D

Welcome to "the gang"

[Lori P]

Welcome, and good job on saving him! Try offering him small worms or chopped nightcrawlers... frogs, from what I've read, carry an exe4ptionally high parasite load so aren't the first choice. Of course, he'd be eating them in the wild once he's bigger, but he also wouldn't have as long a life span... Can't wait to see pics!

[Stefan-A]

Hi,

Two days ago I rescued a baby snake at my work. (They poison and kill everything that gets into the cellars so I grabbed him fast) We all think its a garter but now looking at picks in the gallery, it may be a ribbon. I read that California does not have wild ribbons. Is that true? I will post a pick later. He is very very small but is eating tinny fish like a champ. Question: Can I feed him wild frogs once he is big enough or could they make him sick? (along with fish, worms, etc..)
Welcome aboard. :) Yeah, no ribbons in California.

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Car24 :)

[car24]

Thank you for the advice guys! I don't want to chance parasites, so I'll leave the frogs out of his diet! I will post a pic when I get home tonight. He (or she) has a very good temper. Never bites but is very shy. Thanks again.

[jitami]

Welcome :) Nice save :)

[Snake lover 3-25]

welcome:d gald you got him outta there:D good luck:D can't wait for pics!!!!

[Sid]

Welcome to the forum and it's alway nice to hear of someone saving a snake, rather than the other way around.

[reptile3]

Hello:) & Welcome!! That is great you saved the baby!! Can't wait to see pictures

[Aundrea]

Hi!! and welcome to the forum!! I cant wait to see pics :D

[ssssnakeluvr]

welcome to the forum!! great job saving him!!! post pics and we will id him for ya!!!!

[car24]

OK guys,

I did not have much time last night to take a good pic so sorry about the poor photography. ... I have also never posted pics so bare with me :D!!!413
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[Stefan-A]

Thamnophis couchii, maybe? Or T. hammondii.

[jitami]

Cute baby! Where in Central Cal did you find it? Most of our garters seem to have a dorsal stripe... hammondii looks like it's only found along the coast from about Monterey south... which really only leaves couchii & vagrans, with couchii having the bigger range in California. Looks a little like the few couchii I found over the summer, but not exactly. I'm still learning, too, though, so looking forward to what everyone else has to say :)

Here's a great resource for those of us in and around California...
California Reptiles and Amphibians (http://www.californiaherps.com/)

[car24]

I work for a winery in Santa Ynez (Santa Barbara County), which is where i found him. It is located far east, very close to where the fires were burning about a year ago. We are on thousands of acres of privately owned land, so we see a lot of wildlife. Lots of tarantulas right now!

Thank you for your identification help. He loves the water...and after reading about his type I think I should change his cage to reflect that habitat. Thank you!

[jitami]

Looks like Stefan nailed it with hammondii :)
Thamnophis hammondii - Two-striped Gartersnake (http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/t.hammondii.html)

It's good to give them a water dish that's big enough for them to get into, but if the environment is too wet they get blisters and scale rot... you're probably fine leaving his cage the way it is :) What I can see of it looks very nice in the pictures :)