garters & dekayi's...

[reptile3]

Not sure if this is the right forum... I just have yet another question...:D

Sooo Kyle, my red sided, has been curled up to Mikey who is a male dekayi.
Is there anyway that they could mate?? I don't know the sex of Kyle, I just gave him a name.

When I first got all 3, Kyle was curled up with Brownie, now it's Mikey. Or do the snakes usually just curl up together all the time.
I need to take a picture.

thanks in advance.

[Sid]

Not sure if this is the right forum... I just have yet another question...:D

Sooo Kyle, my red sided, has been curled up to Mikey who is a male dekayi.
Is there anyway that they could mate?? I don't know the sex of Kyle, I just gave him a name.

When I first got all 3, Kyle was curled up with Brownie, now it's Mikey. Or do the snakes usually just curl up together all the time.
I need to take a picture.

thanks in advance.
Stephanie, Nothing to worry about on the breeding, Garters and Dekayi don't cross.

[reptile3]

Stephanie, Nothing to worry about on the breeding, Garters and Dekayi don't cross.

Whew, what a relief!!! Okay, then they are just buddies!! Keeping each other warm!!! Thank You Sid, I appreciate the feedback!!:)

[infernalis]

Stephanie, I have had a tank set up for 2 years with three lady Dekayi snakes and two male garters.

All 5 will curl up a lot, communal huddles & cuddles.

NEVER shown any interest in hanky panky.

To the best of my knowledge (learning to be careful with words here) they cannot cross.

Not sure if this is the right forum??? Hmm lets see, we have all the best Garter snake keepers from around the world, and from my experience the best Dekayi keepers right here... So what other forum is there????

[reptile3]

Stephanie, I have had a tank set up for 2 years with three lady Dekayi snakes and two male garters.

All 5 will curl up a lot, communal huddles & cuddles.

NEVER shown any interest in hanky panky.

To the best of my knowledge (learning to be careful with words here) they cannot cross.


You have such a way with... ummm words!!:D Thanks alot

[infernalis]

Thanks Stephanie,

I have learned not to speak in absolutes unless I have rock solid proof:eek:

[adamanteus]

Cross species, even cross genus matings can occur but are seldom productive. Hasn't someone somewhere crossed Corns and Kings?
Somewhere in my heaps of books I have a series of photographs of an Adder (Vipera berus) attempting to mate with it's dinner, a Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis).
So while a successful pairing is unlikely in the extreme... never say never!

[infernalis]

Thank you James!

Yes, there are "Pueblacorns" and such.

The corn snake (Elephe Gutata) has been successfully crossed with Milk snakes (Lampropeltis Triangulum)

So like I said, Careful of speaking in absolutes, can get one in trouble down the road:D

[Stefan-A]

I wouldn't rely on the naming system actually predicting which species can successfully be crossed.

edit: needed to rephrase it a bit.

[Snake lover 3-25]

dekays do not lay eggs correct?????

[adamanteus]

No, they're live-bearers, Shanley.

[Snake lover 3-25]

ok good.... bc i just found one out side.... it's like 15 out and dropping and he didn't even move when i picked him up so he's inside sunning under a lamp:D he was right over a large group of small egg like things.... prob. bug eggs....:D

[adamanteus]

Slug or snail eggs, I bet.

[Snake lover 3-25]

ooooo that would explain it....... should i feed him???

[adamanteus]

You could try... if he wants it, he'll take it!

[Snake lover 3-25]

ok cool:D i'll let him warm up for a bit first:D maybe tomarrow morning:D

[infernalis]

Depends Shanley, any plans on keeping it?

From my personal observations here, DK snakes are the last ones out and about in the fall, first ones out and about in the spring.

They seem to tolerate cold better than others.

[Snake lover 3-25]

hmmmmmmmmm........ well...... it's SOOOOO cute lol........... um......... if i did decide not to keep it could i release it in the spring???

[kbear]

Cross species, even cross genus matings can occur but are seldom productive. Hasn't someone somewhere crossed Corns and Kings?
Somewhere in my heaps of books I have a series of photographs of an Adder (Vipera berus) attempting to mate with it's dinner, a Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis).
So while a successful pairing is unlikely in the extreme... never say never!
So if I house two different kinds of garters together, is that okay? Other than the mating issue, do garters tend to adjust well/quickly to new cagemates?

[Stefan-A]

So if I house two different kinds of garters together, is that okay? Other than the mating issue, do garters tend to adjust well/quickly to new cagemates?
It should be okay, as long as you don't mix sexes and as long as there isn't a significant size difference. Especially if the larger one is a wandering garter snake.

[kbear]

"It should be okay, as long as you don't mix sexes"

What happens if you do? Do you end up with garter babies that are half and half, genetically speaking, or does it not work that way?

[Stefan-A]

You end up with hybrids.

[kbear]

Well... then... is that bad?

[Stefan-A]

Well... then... is that bad?
Not as long as the owner knows what they are and makes damn sure they don't end up in a wild garter population.

And of course it depends on how you view it as an ethical issue.

[jitami]

I think Shannon put it best, and I'm big time paraphrasing here, when she said that you will never produce a garter hybrid more beautiful than those already occurring in nature. I had never thought of it that way, but if you think of all the gorgeous varieties of garters out there it would really be tough to come up with an argument for hybrids based on appearance!

[prattypus]

See, we say that, but somewhere some wicked advertising comapny is in cahoots with evil scientists to breed snakes that spell out product names with their scales-

BIO BILL BOARDS!!!

[ssssnakeluvr]

I think Shannon put it best, and I'm big time paraphrasing here, when she said that you will never produce a garter hybrid more beautiful than those already occurring in nature. I had never thought of it that way, but if you think of all the gorgeous varieties of garters out there it would really be tough to come up with an argument for hybrids based on appearance!
I agree...could be some cool garters...but there's tons of awesome looking normal non hybrid garters out there!!!! I was looking at books and loving normal garters for many years, even before I knew there were albinos and other morphs.

[Lori P]

See, we say that, but somewhere some wicked advertising comapny is in cahoots with evil scientists to breed snakes that spell out product names with their scales-

BIO BILL BOARDS!!!

This gave me a giggle-- you KNOW the first one out there will be a darn Jeff Gordon snake!!!!! LOL

[Garter_Gertie]

Man. Can you even IMAGINE the worth of a garter where the Virgin Mary is pictured on the back?

[infernalis]

there's tons of awesome looking normal non hybrid garters out there!!!! I was looking at books and loving normal garters for many years, even before I knew there were albinos and other morphs.


Ditto what Don said..