What can you get at Petsmart for Garter snakes

[commongartersnake]

Hey I'm commongartersnake aka Alexis.

I don't own a snake, yet. My father said that he would tell me soon if I can.

Here are pictures of the garter snake my friend will give me:

http://thumbs.freewebs.com/Members/viewThumb.jsp?fileID=108821983&size=thumbhttp://thumbs.freewebs.com/Members/viewThumb.jsp?fileID=108822004&size=thumbhttp://thumbs.freewebs.com/Members/viewThumb.jsp?fileID=108821954&size=thumb
http://thumbs.freewebs.com/Members/viewThumb.jsp?fileID=108821959&size=thumb

Here are the other baby snakes:

http://thumbs.freewebs.com/Members/viewThumb.jsp?fileID=109497558&size=thumbhttp://thumbs.freewebs.com/Members/viewThumb.jsp?fileID=109497456&size=thumb

What do you need for a garter snake?
Try to post images, so I can find what you are showing me... I got to Petsmart so if you have anything from there I should get, tell me.

I really hope I get a garter snake...

[Corinne33]

Do you have anything yet?

You will need an enclosure of some kind (id go to walmart for this. Mine sells empy ten gallons for 13 bucks and ive never seen them that cheap at a petstore).

A top for the enclosure (id recommend buying the clips for the top too).

Substrate (you can use paper towels and newspaper, or you can buy carefresh from the store)

Hides (if you're on a budget you can use empty cardboard boxes. I used an oatmeal box for a while)

A water dish (i use a low wide tupperware dish)

Heat source (under tank heaters work best. I use a blue bulb but thats b/c my house is hot and i like being able to move the light closer or farther from the tank depending on how hot it is)

Thermometer

Any other tank decorations you want. I went to petsmart and all the fish tank fake plants were over $10 so i went next door to the craft store and got a bunch for $1 a piece.

[commongartersnake]

I don't own any thing yet, I was wondering if you can you fake plants or live plants, with is better. I am sure my father will let me but you never know.

I know Walmart is way better than Petsmart for prices, I will try at Walmart instead.

I don't have much money, around 40-60 dollars and have to pay my dad back for a laptop he helped pay for. I am trying to pay him soon so I can't spend much, if I can get one.

Can I use branches from outside?
Can I use real or fake plants? which is better?

thanks in advance! :D

[commongartersnake]

Here are the rocks I have for the snake.

Tell me which one is good, or that you like. I can only use one, till I get a bigger tank.

A http://thumbs.freewebs.com/Members/viewThumb.jsp?fileID=109503741&size=thumb
B http://thumbs.freewebs.com/Members/viewThumb.jsp?fileID=109503744&size=thumb
C http://thumbs.freewebs.com/Members/viewThumb.jsp?fileID=109503746&size=thumb

The tank is small and I will, when I get money, buy a 10 gallon fish tank for the garter snake. :rolleyes:

I still don't know if i can have one, hope so! :D

[guidofatherof5]

I vote for "A", why? Looks like a rock your snake can get up on and relax.

[GarterGeek]

Those are nice rocks, but your snake can't hide under them! I would get a flat rock and lean it against smaller, rounder rocks, that way your snake has a great little hiding place. My snakes love that. :)

Good luck, hope you get your snake!

[mustang]

i got a very nice cave for $15 ill post pic soon

[Mommy2many]

I vote for A as well. I think the snakey will like to stretch out on the longer rock:D

[drache]

I highly recommend getting something larger than a 10 gallon tank
is there something like freecycle where you are?
swap meets and yard sales are great
ideally you'd want at least a 20G long (30"x12"x12"), or better yet a 30G breeder (36"x16"x13")
nice rocks

[Didymus20X6]

For an enclosure, I highly recommend getting as large a one as possible.

Mine is a 106qt. (26 gal) clear plastic tub with locking lid. I installed a screen in the top using nylon screen and wood trim, bolted into place. I also put foam insulating stripping around the edge to fill in any possible escape routes. If you're too lazy to install the screen, you can just drill like a billion tiny holes all around it, but the screen really does work better.

For hides, here's what I did: small flower pot, with a hole broken at the top rim, inverted. I also covered the bottom with coconut fiber, which makes it look like a cute little thatch-roof cottage. The only drawback: this big beefy-armed dragon (http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail58.html) keeps trying to burninate it.

Also, I highly recommend bamboo tubes. My snakes love those things.

[mustang]

For an enclosure, I highly recommend getting as large a one as possible.

Mine is a 106qt. (26 gal) clear plastic tub with locking lid. I installed a screen in the top using nylon screen and wood trim, bolted into place. I also put foam insulating stripping around the edge to fill in any possible escape routes.

For hides, here's what I did: small flower pot, with a hole broken at the top rim, inverted. I also covered the bottom with coconut fiber, which makes it look like a cute little thatch-roof cottage. The only drawback: this big beefy-armed dragon (http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail58.html) keeps trying to burninate it.

Also, I highly recommend bamboo tubes. My snakes love those things.
dude alexia is a kid (like me) which means no mucho denaro and no grande enclosure becaude of $$

[Didymus20X6]

That's why I recommend this. I paid $12 for that tub, like $1.50 for that flower pot, and got the bamboo for free from a neighbor who was throwing it out. The screen construction probably cost about $1 for the wood, and about $2 for nuts, bolts, and washers. The screen cost about $8, but I only needed a tiny bit, and have plenty left over for other projects. You could probably get something similar for not a lot of money.

I am, in fact, working on expanding that enclosure with a water section. $4.50 for another clear plastic tub. Another $3 for screen supplies, and about $6 for plumbing supplies (to connect the two). This new enclosure will be connected to the first via tunnel, and will have mostly rocks, water, and a single thatch-roof cottage.

[mustang]

That's why I recommend this. I paid $12 for that tub, like $1.50 for that flower pot, and got the bamboo for free from a neighbor who was throwing it out. The screen construction probably cost about $1 for the wood, and about $2 for nuts, bolts, and washers. The screen cost about $8, but I only needed a tiny bit, and have plenty left over for other projects. You could probably get something similar for not a lot of money.
ya but a big enclosure can cost from 150 - 1000s of $$

[Didymus20X6]

Which is why I recommended this instead.

You could get a 10gal glass enclosure at Wal-Mart for about $13, or you can get and modify a 26gal clear plastic tub. I spent not $hundreds but $tens. You've seen my enclosure pics, haven't you?

[mustang]

Which is why I recommended this instead.

You could get a 10gal glass enclosure at Wal-Mart for about $13, or you can get and modify a 26gal clear plastic tub. I spent not $hundreds but $tens. You've seen my enclosure pics, haven't you?
o...i think i get it! ....my parents wont let me "modify" anything but urs looks good....but its a little tall and less lengthy....but it may be just the image or bad memory

[Didymus20X6]

This is what my enclosure currently looks like (click the pic for larger image):

http://i26.tinypic.com/1gly7n.jpg (http://i27.tinypic.com/aexg5l.jpg)

[Charis]

I would recommend a Sterlite or RubberMaid tub as well, at least at first if you don't have much money to spend. I have two of my corns in tubs, can't think what gallon they are offhand, but they have a bit more floor space than a 20gal long glass tank & both of them only cost $11, I just drilled small air holes in them. I don't really like how they look, but the idea was that the snakes can stay in them pretty much forever & that gives me plenty of time to find a good used glass tank with the type of lid I want for a good price. To have bought two of the tanks I want new would have cost $140.

[commongartersnake]

Okay.

Now for my question.

Can I see a picture of your lamp(On the tank). I can't tell how it was made.

~AND~

Where do you get the screen and want would it be called. So I don't get the wrong things.

[Didymus20X6]

That's actually an old floor lamp a neighbor was throwing out. I salvaged it. But not long ago, the Wal-Mart where I live was selling the same identical floor lamp for like $5, so I got another for the living room. It's actually two lamps on one stand - what you see in the pic is actually the reading lamp on the side. The top lamp works especially well if you use a 3-way bulb. I've thought about getting yet another one of these, because the salvaged one is rather dilapidated.

The screen I got in the Wal-Mart hardware section. There's different types there, and they come on rolls, but they're all pretty much the same as far as I can tell. I just got what was on sale, and it works great: good ventilation, and keeps the snaky snakes from getting out.

[Charis]

I use a heat mat for mine, like those better than a light for a number of reasons. Your heat source & control is pobably going to be the most expensive thing you'll need to buy. I have on my tubs the Dragons Lair heat mats, you can only get them online at Reptile Supplies, Dog, Cat, Small Pet Supply & Aquarium Products (http://www.bigappleherp.com) those are one of the few that are recommended for use with plastic. The heat mat itself was only $14 (the last I checked) but shipping is $12 base price. I bought 3 of them which even with shipping made them a little less then at the local petstore. Then I have a rheostat from Home Depot for $11. You could use a regular heat mat, like what you'd use on yourself if you already have one, until you can afford or find a reptile one if you need to as well. Hope that helps you some, and good luck getting a garter! ;~)

[Didymus20X6]

Since I live in the Mississippi Delta, where it gets plenty warm on its own, I don't really use any heat source except the one incandescent light (the rest in my house are florescent). I don't cool the house during the daytime, so it gets to be about 87F inside during the day. I figure that, plus the incandescent bulb, should be plenty for my guys. If not, I have a heating pad for backup.

[drache]

broken clay flower flower pot make great hides, and many nurseries will let you have them for nothing
I slightly sand down sharp corners

[commongartersnake]

Okay

I like the tupperware idea with the screen. I am 13 and can get my father to help me create it.

We have a Walmart so I can get everything there.

-screen
-screws
-nuts
-bolts
-wood frame

I know how to build this. The was everything works. The only thing is the price. I will be able to make this is long as its under 30 dollars.

Total: (least) $20.00
I think.

What can I get for bedding??? :confused:

[Charis]

Paper towels & newspaper are perfectly fine to use, some even prefer them for their babies. Aspen & Carefresh are a few other things people use, if you go with the Aspen try finding some in the small animal department, it's usually a few dollars less then the stuff packaged for reptiles. I've also heard of people using leaf litter & stuff out of their yard, I'd worry about bringing in other things with the leaves, but that might be an option.