Taming tips?

[Calift]

Anyone have advice on how to "tame" a wild caught garter?

How many minutes per day and how often?

What do you do if the snake strikes, or if it tries to flee? If it seems stressed do you put it back, or does that reinforce the behaviour?

Do you wait until its out of its hide before picking it up?



Any advice greatly appreciated! :o:D:)

[Millinex]

Honestly all I do is reach in and hold the snake firmly with both hands. The snake is worried about 2 things, you being a predator, and you letting the snake fall. Let the snake know you have him and he won't fall, but you are not hurting him. If they try to get away, continue to hold, most will calm down pretty easily, although I still have one very stubborn girl who is very skittish.

If the snake strikes, let him in my opinion. His bite won't kill you, it may hurt a bit but he will realize very quickly the bite didn't do anything and was a wasted effort.

[Zephyr]

Anyone have advice on how to "tame" a wild caught garter?

How many minutes per day and how often?

What do you do if the snake strikes, or if it tries to flee? If it seems stressed do you put it back, or does that reinforce the behaviour?

Do you wait until its out of its hide before picking it up?



Any advice greatly appreciated! :o:D:)

I'd say work your way up from simply talking to the snake during feeding time to a little 5 minute daily handling to more than that. I've had some great success with talking to my snakes during feeding time.
Once a day should suffice.

If the snake strikes, just hold still. Eventually, from here comes the fleeing response. Simply let the snake "walk/run" through your hands until it calms down.

If the snake starts to flail or writhe, I put them back. Running/striking, I keep holding.

I try to get the snake out of their hide before picking them up, but only if I'm working on taming it. Tame snakes just let you pick them up wherever they're at. :P

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

the trick to getting a snake to trust you, is to earn that trust. I do that by letting the snake keep it's dignity when being handled and give him or her space if they need it. Instead of you holding onto the snake firmly, loosen up your grip and allow the snake to crawl on your hands and arms, don't ever restrain them unless it's absolutely necessary. It scares them and it makes them see you as a predator. I usually reach in and lift a snake up by the spot about 1/3 of the way down it's body, then gently lift up and slide my other hand underneath their back end. If the snake is really flipping out about being handled, I only hold it for a minute or two and then put it back. Even the most flippy snake will eventually calm down after a few weeks/months if you don't put forceful restraint on them and you allow them to be in control of their own movements through your hands. It might help if you have a container of worms handy. Every time you handle the snake, allow it to dig up a worm from the container. I find this to be a great technique to get the snake to associate me with good things instead of bad things!

[guidofatherof5]

I use their natural curiosity as a tool. I reach in and just let my hand sit. They usually make their way out to check things out. As already said, talking to them gets them used to your voice or at least the vibrations. I used the same greeting with each enclosure. I call individual snakes by name as I touch them. Be patient. Put yourself in their spot, a giant reaching for you. I'd be worried too. Food is always away to instill trust. Hunger will win over fear in most cases. The taming should come at their speed.

[Didymus20X6]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that, if you're worried about striking, just wear some gloves. Either some thick cowhide gloves, if you're worried about getting hurt, or some latex gloves if you're hoping to teach them that striking is bad. Or some really thick latex gloves, like the kind you can find at your local mega-hardware store.

I have found that the snakes I've caught will often strike at the Gopher, but if I try to handle them, they tend not to strike at me. I think it's because they associate the Gopher with the predator that caught them, and me as just a neutral object that was nearby when it happened. They'll squirm to try to get away from me when I'm holding them, but since I don't plan to keep them, I just let them go near a good hiding place.

[adamanteus]

Time and familiarity with the new captive routines will soon tame a new Garter down. Be patient with her.

[mustang]

ok first seal up all holes in house...let it run through your fingers at least 20min a day and dont yell hurt or make disguested faces at the snake when he dumps on u

[Millinex]

ok first seal up all holes in house...let it run through your fingers at least 20min a day and dont yell hut or nmake disguested faces at the snake when he dumps on u

The only snakes I've really had "dump on me" are the wild ones when I first grab ahold of them, they all seem to want to start flinging poop around lol.

[drache]

I try to put the skittish ones in cages that have a lot of cover and hiding places, and are located in a place where the snake can observe us a lot
when I do take them out, make sure there are no mammals around (particularly human and feline), so I can be very undistracted, and I use a lot of calming talk and humming
I know they can't "hear" me, but I'm pretty sure they get some resonance from my body

[ssssnakeluvr]

some just never tame also.....

[Calift]

She's been doing awesome....and I haven't gotten bit yet! :P

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/cally_dog/DSC_0308-1.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

Looks like you've been doing awesome, also.
They really do get to know and trust you. Mine are fine with my kids and myself but have a stranger come into the snake room and they react. Into the hides they go. After a few moment of being afraid, some will come back out but are wary of the new person.

Your snake looks very healthy and in good shape. I couldn't really tell but has she been doing some nose rubbing?

[Calift]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/cally_dog/DSC_0315.jpg

There's a closer look at her nose....does it look like she's been rubbing it a lot to you? Her head is usually dusty because she likes to bury in the recycled newspaper substrate. I've tried to make her tank big and interactive with lots of real branches (baked of course) and plants.....to ward off the snake boredom?

[guidofatherof5]

[quote=Calift;114585]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/cally_dog/DSC_0315.jpg
quote]

I can't really tell from that view but it does look to me like she has some unshed skin where the upper and lower jaw meet. Maybe that's what I see on the front of her nose. I would circle the area for you but I can't get your photo into me editing software.

[Calift]

Ohh okay...I sorta see what you mean. She hasn't shed since I've had her yet, nor has she been blue.

I actually took a ton of pics of her today....I'm sure one of these will be a better angle! :o

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/cally_dog/DSC_0313.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/cally_dog/DSC_0323.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/cally_dog/DSC_0326.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

I don't think it's a rub situation. I think it's some retained shed. Not a big concern unless it's retained eye caps. I don't think that's what you have here. A little time in a shed box should clean up any leftover skin. Here's a link to a thread about a cheap shed box.
All that being said he looks great. You did good.:)
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/husbandry/5014-cheap-shed-box.html

[Calift]

Thanks Steve....it means a lot coming from you! :)

[guidofatherof5]

[quote=guidofatherof5;114589][quote=Calift;114585]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/cally_dog/DSC_0315.jpg
quote]

Can you send me this photo to guidofatherof5@cox.net ? I'll point out the areas I was talking about and send it right back.

[Melmo]

As many already said, talk to them and leave your hand in they're sight. I've heard that many snakes enjoy being on your hands eventually because they're warm. Like dogs, give them "treats" (A worm or guppie) if you get them to calm down. Good luck!

[Calift]

Yay more great advice! :)

I have found that talking to the snakes has been a big help....they (Minnie and Nixon) were very noise sensitive in the beginning, but seem much calmer when they see a big head over the tank making funny sounds. :P

I didn't expect a wild snake to adapt so quickly to both food (Minnie is like a garbage can for any leftover pinks) and touch!

[guidofatherof5]

It sounds like you are getting to know your snakes very well. Most Garter Snakes adapt well to captivity. My T.radixes and T.s.parietalis have done very well. I'm sure there are some who don't do as well.

[Lovok]

I was hoping if I did some exploring I'd find a thread like this one. I've had a female for a month now, and she still freaks out when I try to pick her up. She does calm down a little bit in my hands once I have her (she's only musked on me once, and had never bitten or struck at me, but it seems too that when she "gets a good look around" she wants to bolt. When she does that, I put her back in the tank.

I've toyed with the idea of only leaving her like, one place to hide instead of two or three, in the hope that that'll desensitize her and get used to me being in the room.

I don't know how much of a psychology garters have, so everything in this thread is good info to try. I always handle her gently and talk to her, and I've noticed that when she's in the tank and I have food, she doesn't run from my hand. She takes earthworms from my fingers, and the salmon slivers from tweezers. Since it seems like she's beginning to associate my hand with food, I'll try the approach of having some treats ready from now on when I take her out.

A recent acquaintance also said that (and I'm throwing this out for comments) essentially still being a baby, she may still have a strong flee response, and that as she gets bigger, she'll calm down, i.e. her larger size will make her "braver".

At any rate, the responses here have given me hope that she stands a good chance of becoming domesticated if I'm as persistent and stubborn as she is! LOL

[bkhuff1s]

I've had a pair of Pugets for about a year. The female is cool and will let me walk up to her without to much of a response, but the male tries to fly out of the enclosure everytime I move towards him... I think it depends on the snake