Yet another unknown Garter

[zirliz]

I picked this beauty up today he's called checkers he or she has lovely checkered underside,
he's quite lively so this is the best I can get for now he's the first garter that wolfed down 2 fish the first day I get him
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r314/zirliz/DCF_0305.jpg

[Stefan-A]

Not unknown, it's an Indonesian garter snake. :)

[zirliz]

Nice they hard to find? or care for you don't get squat over here

[Stefan-A]

More details here:

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/423-my-new-fish-eating-snakes.html

Congratulations, by the way. :)

[zirliz]

So that's why he looked so familiar if there was a second I'd have snapped it up such nice snakes

[adamanteus]

Zirliz, I might be the photo, but that Xenogrophis looks quite skinny to me. Best feed him up!

[zirliz]

I thought the same thing poor thing

[Stefan-A]

Hope he hasn't been on a cricket diet, like so many other garters.. :(

[zirliz]

What's that? sorry not familiar with that term

[Stefan-A]

I meant that some pet stores and people think that garter snakes eat crickets and try to feed them that.

[zirliz]

Ah, I see don't know but he's now eaten 3 big smelt fish greedy thing

[adamanteus]

Maybe try him on scented pinkies next feed....fatten him up a bit.

[zirliz]

Good idea I'm trying to breed my own mice to cut down on expenses for greedy a Boa and up coming Python, Pinkies are so small was looking at them today,

[adamanteus]

Small is maybe a good thing for your new Xenogrophis.

[Daniel]

Hi,

I had seen this in a couple of posts yet and just have to say something about this little mistake:

The snakes name is Xenochrophis vittatus and not xenogrophis.

If you search for this name via google, you will find a lot more infos and pictures about this species, than searching for xenogrophis (18000 : 6 ;) ).

Best wishes,

Daniel

[zirliz]

Thanks for that

[Thamnophis]

And you can also search under Natrix vittata. That was their name some years ago.

But the snake on the picture is most certainly very skinny. Like most imported (cheap) animals from southeast Asia.
Take a stoolsample and bring it to a vet for research.
Most likely it is full of worms etc.

[zirliz]

Hope not he seems very lively and very colourful would any internal parasite not affect his condition, mightn't act different but surely he's seem dull or look poor colour condition, am I wrong in that?
thanks also Is it hard to threat these if he has any? and would they kill him fast? just worried now...:(

[Cazador]

When it comes to snakes, there are very few internal parasites that you can identify by looking at the outside of your snake (or by observing its behavior). In fact, heavily parasitized snakes often have very good appetites, but the just fail to put on weight. Most internal parasites are too small to be seen in the feces with the naked eye. That's why Fons is suggesting that you take a stool sample to a vet... and because tropical snakes are often imported with heavy parasite loads. If yours is captive born, the odds of it being parasitized aren't as great.

[zirliz]

Ok I see, poor fellow, I don't know wheather is was captive bred or not, how hard is it to remove the parasites by treatment I mean as I've just got him I don't have any faeces sample could I just bring him in can blood samples show it?

[adamanteus]

He's feeding now though, right? Just collect his next dump and take it to the vet.

[Cazador]

Blood samples can show signs of a few parasites, but they're by no means ideal or comprehensive. A fecal sample is the way to go. Internal parasites are easily treated, but I don't want to get you all scared. Your snake is just a bit skinny, which could simply mean it's been underfed.

I'd just weigh them (to the gram, if possible) and feed them twice a week for a month. Then reweigh them, and see if it's gained weight. Also, keep an eye on the stool just in case you see a roundworm or tapeworm segment. If the stool is very runny, without shape (like the brown part isn't turd-shaped), or it's VERY smelly, you'd get an indication that it might have internal parasites. These, too, are just clues, but a vet would be able to tell you for certain, if you take in a fecal sample.

Rick

[zirliz]

Thanks hopefully he'll live that long always think the worst of these things