PDA

View Full Version : Hi everyone


lauwersp
05-31-2010, 06:43 PM
Well... in reading many of your posts, I will be the first to say I am really the newbie of this group. I love snakes... and I now live in Northern Michigan, so I caught my first garter snake, an Eastern Garter about a week ago. I've been doing a lot of reading on the internet to get a feel for taking care of him (I think it's a him).

I finally found this group today, as I was getting really frustrated with my new snakes lack of eating... now to be fair, there hasn't been much more than a couple worms in there (besides all the inedible things my dad keeps wandering over and throwing in there... spiders, bugs etc.), but it's hard to keep tabs on whether worms are being eaten when i have a lot of dirt in the tank (trying to simulate his natural environment).

I bought a bunch of minnows today (I'm going to convert to frozen fresh fish but I have to go to "town" to get that), put em in there with him, and then started reading in the forum... I was getting kind of irritated that my snake (haven't thought of a name yet) LOVED swimming with the minnows but just played in the water and ignored them. In fact, I counted 17 times that he stuck his head under the water without interest in the fish.

Now I know a newfound snake may take several weeks to acclimate to the point of feeling comfortable to eat, so I was preparing my first post to be questions about it when I saw a quick darting movement to my right (where the tank is) and sure enough, minnow had been captured.

It really was amazing to watch him articulate the fish into his mouth and swallow it... then right back for another one... and then a third! I hastily pulled the remaining three minnows out as I didn't want him to over eat...

Anyway... I thought I would share my first success... I feel much better now. My plan is to give him two minnows a week as each one left a significant bulge. Everyone please feel free to comment... I'm here for your expert advice. I'm posting a few pics... the tank he is in has some mineral deposits as it was very recently used for fish and I was excited to build him a home. I'll clean it up and take better pictures soon.

Nice to meet you all.


Peter
Stefan-A
06-01-2010, 12:00 AM
Welcome aboard. :)
infernalis
06-01-2010, 01:06 AM
http://www.thamfriends.com/mat.jpg
Laura
06-01-2010, 03:24 AM
Hi there from England :D
gregmonsta
06-01-2010, 04:12 AM
Greetings :D
drache
06-01-2010, 04:35 AM
welcome to the forum, Peter
ssssnakeluvr
06-01-2010, 09:37 AM
welcome to the forum!! nice eastern. it's normal for them to go a week or 2 before eating after being taken in. eating already is a good sign. don't worry about overfeeding him...they can overeat, but not very often
Mommy2many
06-01-2010, 09:49 AM
Welcome from Connecticut!
bkhuff1s
06-01-2010, 01:32 PM
Hello, welcome
ConcinusMan
06-01-2010, 02:39 PM
Welcome. Nice eastern. Some advice: don't worry so much about the "natural environment" and just keep your snake clean, warm, and dry. Don't use dirt. You're opening things up for a respiratory infection and/or skin infections. There are some elements of nature that do not belong in a captive situation because they will not be good for your snake.

Might want to read this thoroughly and comply with the care instructions. Do that and your garter snake will thrive. Here's the care sheet: http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet

Good luck!
mustang
06-01-2010, 07:11 PM
welcome i caught my first garter bout a year ago. its a awsome challenge raising a wild caught
ConcinusMan
06-02-2010, 02:28 AM
Not really. Sometimes you just have to get a few good looking ones and try them out. Give them at least 3 weeks to adapt. Some don't adapt and must be released. My experience with Oregon Red spots has been mostly positive. Like radixes or easterns, they tend to do very well. Very few have been any trouble for me. Most will eat within 2 weeks and it gets even better after that.

I've had more trouble raising some CB snakes than wild caught garters.
lauwersp
06-02-2010, 06:57 AM
Thanks for the advice on the dirt. This is my plan, all input is welcome...

I'm going to take everything out of the tank... and then start with a couple inches of sand, but only 2/3 the width of the tank. The remaining 1/3 would be water... such to mimic the edge of a pond... i figured sand would be easier for him to dig in, as he seems to want to do that... maybe a small plant or two and a nice hiding spot.

Anything I'm missing or anything in that plan that's a bad idea?
ConcinusMan
06-03-2010, 02:19 AM
NO! Very bad idea. You gotta be messin' with us now aren't you? Forget mimicking anything dangit!

The snakes are WAY better off if you line the tank with several layers of newspaper, and create a small pile of shredded paper or cardboard boxes for them to hide in on the cool end. Provide a clear basking area with overhead heat or use an undertank heater on the other end. Provide a sturdy, tip proof water dish . Keep their enclosure dry and warm, 50-70 percent humidity.

Unless you can get your hands on some carefresh, aspen shavings, fir bark pieces, coconut fiber (goes by different names) then just use newspaper and keep it clean and dry!
lauwersp
06-03-2010, 11:15 PM
chuckle... well I reread the Care Guide and saw no sand...

"I, Peter Lauwers, hereby and henceforth promise not to deviate from the aforementioned care guide in all future care of _________________, my Easter Garter snake."

Now someone PLEASE teach me the secret handshake. :)
lauwersp
06-03-2010, 11:22 PM
I will say this... this guy LOVES to dig... I'll be sorry to see the digging material go... any alternatives for that?
Odie
06-04-2010, 12:55 AM
Hi, from Oregon, Peter :)
ConcinusMan
06-04-2010, 01:14 AM
I will say this... this guy LOVES to dig... I'll be sorry to see the digging material go... any alternatives for that?

Sure. A mixture of fir bark pieces and coconut fiber. Sometimes sold as "forest mix" for reptiles. The stuff is cheaper if you look in garden centers for it and mix it yourself. Just make sure of the ingredients. If he really loves to dig in the substrate I would recommend staying away from bottom heat and use a basking bulb (placed about 12-18 inches above but where the snake can't touch it, such as on top of a screen top) so there is a "sunny" area between 80-85 degrees for about 10 hours a day. Put the water dish on the cool end. Cool end should be 70-75. I highly recommend putting your heat and/or lighting on a timer so the snakes can get into a rythm and they know when to expect sunup/sundown. Full spectrum lighting with at least a little UVA or UVA and UVB output really helps them thrive. Garters love sun and it shows in their appetite and attitude if they get some "sun"

Here's a link to the substrate material I recommend:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029KHEJY/ref=s9_wishx_gw_p199_i3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1NHZEK32B57NDVEZ6QS3&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

http://www.amazon.com/EXO-TERRA-REPTILE-BARK-4QT-30/dp/B0002AR498/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1275635593&sr=8-4

Just find the best deal you can on those two materials, sometimes at garden centers, and mix it. Perfect substrate, just keep it dry and change it if it starts to smell funny.
ssssnakeluvr
06-04-2010, 07:47 AM
I use carefresh (I get the generic version from Wal Mart, little cheaper). they love to burrow thru it!
drache
06-04-2010, 11:56 AM
those of my snakes who love to burrow get either care fresh or aspen shavings
ConcinusMan
06-04-2010, 01:24 PM
chuckle... well I reread the Care Guide and saw no sand...

"I, Peter Lauwers, hereby and henceforth promise not to deviate from the aforementioned care guide in all future care of _________________, my Easter Garter snake."

Now someone PLEASE teach me the secret handshake. :)

There is no secret handshake but the unofficial initiation is getting bit by a garter. It must bleed.:p