Male vs. Female

[Cobra Kai]

Hi,

Is there a difference? Because I only have room to spoil one snake right now. I know I’ll catch the fever someday and have to have more. I wish I had the circumstances to get a breeding pair. But for now, I must choose my first one wisely.

So I want to know if I should start with a male or a female. But I’m more concerned about temperament.

I have an aggressive male Florida box turtle but a sweet & docile male 3-toed box. I don’t think gender has anything to do with that. I’ve had them for over 26 years, since I was kid. I think that’s just their individual personalities.

But then I had a male green iguana that had a split personality. Especially when he reached sexual maturity. He would let me hold him one minute and whip the crap out of me with his tail the next. He was ornery! http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/images/smilies/kaboom.gif I was told it was because he was a large male.

Does that happen to garters? Which gender is generally LESS MOODY?
Or is there no difference and it’s totally subjective?

Do males start a springtime hunger strikes when they reach sexual maturity? Do females run the risk of laying a clutch without a male?

Thanks!:D

[Snake lover 3-25]

well... it's mostly individual based...... i like females better.... to me they seem much more docile and calm...... and they're bigger:)

[adamanteus]

I agree with Shanley. Females are generally calmer and less 'flighty' than males..... and yes, they're bigger. A female would be a good choice if you can only house one.

[gregmonsta]

Lol ... I find them all docile or calm :) ... unless, of course, it's a dreaded Florida Blue eastern :rolleyes: .... in which case there's plenty of aerobatics.

[Snake lover 3-25]

lol :p

[adamanteus]

Oddly enough, Greg, my two larger Florida Blues (sisters to yours) are totally calm, easy to handle and will feed from my fingers.... whereas the third one, that I got from that 'bloke' in Runcorn is the spawn of Satan!

[Snake lover 3-25]

ha ha lol so strange!!!

[guidofatherof5]

I would say from my radix experience that females are calmer and more trusting.
My males are more wary and have more of a startle response. Just my opinion.

[adamanteus]

I totally agree with Steve!

[gregmonsta]

Oddly enough, Greg, my two larger Florida Blues (sisters to yours) are totally calm, easy to handle and will feed from my fingers.... whereas the third one, that I got from that 'bloke' in Runcorn is the spawn of Satan!

:rolleyes: you're lucky ... Clint's always been liable to spazz out ... :D you never know ... spawn of Satan might calm yet rofl ... fingers crossed the unclassifiable breeder may have males this year :rolleyes:

[gregmonsta]

I would say from my radix experience that females are calmer and more trusting.
My males are more wary and have more of a startle response. Just my opinion.

Well the female I got from James is the calmest baby ever :eek: absolutely handleable and virtually no fear response.

[Sid]

I'll have to chime in with the majority of responses on this thread. I have found that the majority of my female garters are conciderablly less skiddish than the majority of my males, but will add the meanest I ever had was a female. The same has been pretty much true of other species of snakes that I've kept. Females more easily handled than males.

[MasSalvaje]

I will echo what everyone else has said about females. I personally like to watch males more though, they seem to wander and explore more (IMO), you can't go wrong either way.

Something to think about if you are looking to breed in the future is that females take longer to mature sexually, usually a year longer than males. Therefore you might want to get a female started now if you are getting a baby, so it won't take quite as long to get them breeding when you are ready.

-Thomas

[guidofatherof5]

Well the female I got from James is the calmest baby ever :eek: absolutely handleable and virtually no fear response.

Well, what did you expect, Greg.
It was from James.:D
I would love to trade a few with James. I can just hear their great Brit. accent. And mine would have that.... Iowa accent.:D

[Cobra Kai]

Thanks everybody. You've given me some good food for thought. Do any of your garters go on a eating strike?

[guidofatherof5]

The strikes for mine only occur, before brumation, after brumation and right before giving birth.
Otherwise, they are eating machines.

[Cobra Kai]

The strikes for mine only occur, before brumation, after brumation and right before giving birth.
Otherwise, they are eating machines.
Yeah...I like eating machines. :cool:

[zooplan]

Yeah...I like eating machines. :cool:

Than you should get a Wandering Garter, a Florida Blue or a Stanta Cruz Garter Snake!

[Cobra Kai]

Than you should get a Wandering Garter, a Florida Blue or a Stanta Cruz Garter Snake!
That's cool. How do pickeringii compare?