new to the site....possibly pregnant

[k2l3d4]

hey to everyone..... I have two snakes. I eastern green female and I thought that the other was a female albino checkered... as you can see in the pic that... well the albino appears to be male.... This is the first spring for the snakes.... would the green be able to get pregnant this young? Oh yeah,.... and both snakes are about 20 inches long, and healthy. Green has an prrox birth month of may 08 and the albino has an approx birth months of july/aug 08.

[Stefan-A]

Are you sure they aren't both checkered garters? Anyway, I find it improbable, but not by any means impossible that it might result in a pregnancy. So I recommend separating the two.

[Zephyr]

I'd say those are both checkered garters...

[k2l3d4]

I got them both from Petco last year... I purchased the Green in 09/08 and they called her an Eastern Green, and then I puchased the Albino in 10/08 and they called "him?" an Albino Checkered. Was I told incorrectly?
The Albino is very docile and will chill with me four hours out side of the tank, and has even been taken to my son's preschool for a demonstration, and never once showed any signs of stress. Awesome snake. I am just worried if the Green would be pregnent now? I have had both of the snakes in a 35 gallon tank, and they have done quite well like that, and then for two weeks straight the albino bothered the green (in the pic). So I finally got a piece of plexiglass and seperated the tank long wise.... Then today I took both of them outside in their little 10 gallon tank that I use just for that purpose and the albino did not even bother the green. So if he inseminated her... would he then quit bothering her..... Oh yeah... Green is "Hudina" and the Albino was called Little Lady, before all of this drama and now is called "Little Dude"

[k2l3d4]

Thanks for the correction... I guess Petco did not know what they were selling me... and I have no idea what the difference is. I do know that they are pretty tight little snakes.... Question... If they are both Checkered and one is Albino.. Would I get more albinos or would the babies come out green?

[TwistidMutations]

Those are both checkereds,and i had an 07 female checkered breed in 08 and she had a litter of 3. So its very possible that she will take,But i would seperate them

[k2l3d4]

Those are both checkereds,and i had an 07 female checkered breed in 08 and she had a litter of 3. So its very possible that she will take,But i would seperate them

I just recently did and now "litle dude" is not even interested in "hudina"

[Zephyr]

Thanks for the correction... I guess Petco did not know what they were selling me... and I have no idea what the difference is. I do know that they are pretty tight little snakes.... Question... If they are both Checkered and one is Albino.. Would I get more albinos or would the babies come out green?
The babies will come out looking green, but will heterozygous "het" for albino.
Meaning their alleles will be "Aa", as opposed to "AA" in the green female and "aa" in the albino male.

[Sid]

I agree that both do look like Checkered Garters and welcome to the forum. You'll find loads of info here.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Those are both t. marcianus, you can clearly see the neck and head pattern indicative of that species!! so be ready for a litter of miniature Ms. Greens! :D

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Would I get more albinos or would the babies come out green?

Provided your female is not heterozygous (carrying) the albino gene, all the babies will come out as normals, they will look much like their mother... green, tan or yellowish brown with black checkers. The albino checkered is very, very common in today's trade, and hets are everywhere. It would not surprise me at ALL if you female ended up being a het, and had some albino's too. Whatever the case, you'll soon find out!

There's really no need to separate them just yet, not until she starts looking really fat and close to giving birth. When she's closer to laying, and she goes into shed, that's a good time to separate. But don't move her, move him instead, because you want to put as little stress on a gravid female as possible. Stress can cause them to lose their babies.

[Stefan-A]

There's really no need to separate them just yet,
Unless the female isn't gravid and you'd like to keep her that way. ;)

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Unless the female isn't gravid and you'd like to keep her that way. ;)

true, very true :)

[k2l3d4]

Those are both t. marcianus, you can clearly see the neck and head pattern indicative of that species!! so be ready for a litter of miniature Ms. Greens! :D


I will be happy if she is pregnant,.. but a bit more happy if she is not. I am not quite set up for any more snakes then I have at the moment. I originally thought that I had two females, and that was how I set up for. That, and I do not know any one that would take a few snakes off of my hands, if she does have babies. All of my friends think that I am completely crazy for having snakes in my house.... They are beauties though. And if I do have some babies,... I can not even send them to my boyfriends house, cause he has the ball pythons that run around his room.... His snakes are huge, and have never been in tank, except for feeding times.

So if I do end up having babies... I will be looking for homes for them.

[k2l3d4]

There's really no need to separate them just yet, not until she starts looking really fat and close to giving birth. When she's closer to laying, and she goes into shed, that's a good time to separate. But don't move her, move him instead, because you want to put as little stress on a gravid female as possible. Stress can cause them to lose their babies.[/quote]

If she is pregnant, how will I know? (other then having extra snakes in the tank) Will he quite bothering her? I put up a divider in the tank, so that way she could get some peace, but now he does not appear to be interested in her.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

There's really no need to separate them just yet, not until she starts looking really fat and close to giving birth. When she's closer to laying, and she goes into shed, that's a good time to separate. But don't move her, move him instead, because you want to put as little stress on a gravid female as possible. Stress can cause them to lose their babies.

If she is pregnant, how will I know? (other then having extra snakes in the tank) Will he quite bothering her? I put up a divider in the tank, so that way she could get some peace, but now he does not appear to be interested in her.[/quote]

Depending on the male, he may or may not stop bothering her. Some males will court any female, any time, anywhere, all day long no matter WHAT the situation is, whether she's receptive or not. Some males only court receptive females. Some males fail and don't ever court anything!! If your female is gravid, you will most likely start to notice a huge, almost SCARY increase in her appetite. She may become a good bit aggressive at feeding time. you will start to see the back half of her swell with girth, she will look fatter. Provided she is carrying a decent sized litter, eventually her back end will be so fat that the skin between her scales will all be showing and even when she hasnt eaten in days, she will look like she just ate her own weight in food. Eventually, she probably will stop eating as she gets closer to birth. The babies take up too much room in her belly. Now, just remember, this is how the normal and ideal pregnancy goes... and that all of these things MAY or may not happen. Sometimes you don't even know a snake is gravid and ALL the sudden, you have babies born.

[k2l3d4]

The babies will come out looking green, but will heterozygous "het" for albino.
Meaning their alleles will be "Aa", as opposed to "AA" in the green female and "aa" in the albino male.


What do you mean by the Aa and the aa? I really do not know what you are talking about. I got the snakes for pets, and was not intending on breeding them.

[k2l3d4]

So pretty much the guy snakes are just like the guys I know... you never know what they are going to do......lol.

[gregmonsta]

Petco are 100% clueless ... nice checkereds :)

[Stefan-A]

Petco are 100% clueless ... nice checkereds :)
Come on now, at least they knew they were snakes. ;)

[gregmonsta]

:rolleyes: are you sure? :D

[Stefan-A]

:rolleyes: are you sure? :D
Well, knowing Petco, there is indeed a possibility that they really were just labelled "Eastern Green" and "Albino Checkered". :D

[k2l3d4]

lol lol ... Well the new news is that i have no idea why I put a divider up in the tank..... Second day in a row that I have gotten home to find the Female green over in the Albino Male's? side... These snakes have me so confused.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

haha, it;s very, very hard to put a divider in the tank that completely cuts off access between the two!!! You'd have to really work at it!!!

[k2l3d4]

well.... for the moment I have taken the divider down,.. and the male is leaving the female alone... I think that he is done trying to breed with her for the time being.. and if he did successfully breed.. How woudl I know, since everything I am reading is that the females snake can hold the sperm until she is ready to use it (up to five years?) what a trip.

Oh yeah... and I expected the male snake to be trying to get to the female.. not the other way around.

[k2l3d4]

There was six pinkie mice...... and then there was not. (I think that Little Dude might have gotten one or two at the most) Oh yeah.... and Hudina is still on the lid that they eat off of.:rolleyes:

[k2l3d4]

If she is pregnant, how will I know? (other then having extra snakes in the tank) Will he quite bothering her? I put up a divider in the tank, so that way she could get some peace, but now he does not appear to be interested in her.

Depending on the male, he may or may not stop bothering her. Some males will court any female, any time, anywhere, all day long no matter WHAT the situation is, whether she's receptive or not. Some males only court receptive females. Some males fail and don't ever court anything!! If your female is gravid, you will most likely start to notice a huge, almost SCARY increase in her appetite. She may become a good bit aggressive at feeding time. you will start to see the back half of her swell with girth, she will look fatter. Provided she is carrying a decent sized litter, eventually her back end will be so fat that the skin between her scales will all be showing and even when she hasnt eaten in days, she will look like she just ate her own weight in food. Eventually, she probably will stop eating as she gets closer to birth. The babies take up too much room in her belly. Now, just remember, this is how the normal and ideal pregnancy goes... and that all of these things MAY or may not happen. Sometimes you don't even know a snake is gravid and ALL the sudden, you have babies born.[/quote]


Well.... she just ate seven pinkie mice today, whch is probably about three times what she normally eats..... so I am guessing that I have a pregnant lady.

[Snake lover 3-25]

wow what a pig lol glad they're doing well.... i think that it may just be spring that's making her appetite so big..... but there's always a possibility!!:)

[k2l3d4]

I do not know for sure,.... this is their first spring and they did not go into hybernation of sorts... so I am not sure if the seasons would have an effect on them since I keep the tank pretty stable. I will know for sure though in a couple of months as to whether or not she is pregnant.

[k2l3d4]

Just got back from Petco, picking up some pinkies and some fishies,.... and lo and behold they have a snake that they are calling a "garter snake" that is definately a Ribbon Snake... made mention to the girl there about it so we will see if they change the name.