Busy place!

[MlizGr]

Hello all. Figured I should probably join the forum since I spent all day reading on it. Very useful information, and hopefully it will help me give St. George much better care.

I honestly had never planned to get any snake, since most 'pet' snake types were bigger than I was interested in, and everything I had heard about the smaller types were that they didn't curl about your fingers, but would just always travel straight.

Then I found St. George in the middle of a road covered with otherwise dead garters and picked him up to move him. He instantly started curling around my fingers. So he came home with me. Sadly, I had everything at my house to set up a more than suitable tank for him. Two actually once my we have finished making a snake proof lid for the 29 gallon he will eventually be moved permanently to.

I am assuming he is male based on the fact that he seems to have a long, thin tail, but I could of course be wrong on that. He's been in my care for about a week now, and currently his primary food is slugs, since I have a plethora of these in my garden and I'm saving the earthworms I've been catching in a suitable breeding/living area for winter. I'll also be getting some feeder guppies to give him more variety to his diet, as well as some calcium powder.

Since finding him I've done at least a little more research on garter snakes every day, and have decided that there will likely always be at least one living in my house, since they truly do come in some beautiful colors and variations. However, I believe that St. George is a Thamnophis elegans vagrans and as such, a snake eater, so no tank mates for him.

Oh yeah.. Guess I should say something about me. My name's Megan, and currently I'm an unemployed artist living in Montana. I've never owned a snake in my life, much less a garter, so any and all advice is more than welcome!

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard.

[Fishsticks]

Hi Megan! Congratulations on the discovery of St. George (also, appropriate name for him).

I'm something of a garter novice myself, but if I had to suggest anything (that you haven't already covered, which was just about everything), it would be to make certain that there is a good sturdy branch or three for Georgie to climb on. (Provided of course that you curtail his escape artist tendencies with a secure lid.) I say this because so far, every garter I've got loves to climb and settle on provided branches, good for them, also lovely to watch.

Anyway, welcome!

[drache]

Welcome to the forum, Megan
and congratulations on your new buddy
I too love the garters that curl around one's fingers

[Selkielass]

Congratulations on finding a sweetheart! (Lucky him- it sounds like he was in dangerous territory!) Consider offering him bits of fish (Salmon, trout, tilapia.) and feeder mice in case the supply of worms becomes iffy. The more things he is happy eating the easier feeding becomes.

[guidofatherof5]

Great having you on the forum.
Sounds like St. George has a good caregiver.
Be warned, one just isn't enough. They seem to multiply right before your eyes.
The phrase "it's just one more" will become part of your vocabulary but don't be concerned. It's a good thing.:D

[infernalis]

http://www.thamfriends.com/mat.jpg

[MlizGr]

Well, I am going to be getting feeder guppies as well, and he'll be getting little bits of fish whenever I decide to treat myself to some! I think in time I might start offering him the occasional pinky, but that will wait until after I decide where I'm going to move and see if I can even find a supplier in that area. Sorry, but unless I'm going to have a huge freezer I don't want to be buying them in bulk.

As for the branch, I actually found a simply perfect one yesterday, soaked it for a while, then baked it. It's sitting in his to be tank, waiting for him to move in! Only just fits in that tank, and it curls up almost to the top, so I'm sure it will be perfect! I'm planning to get some coconut fiber or eco earth for his substrate in time, but for now I am using paper towels.

[Mommy2many]

Welcome to the forum from Connecticut!

[Tyrel26]

Welcome!

I just have one comment, to talk of a snake and not to post a picture is kinda like drinking straight from the punch bowl at a party lol

[MlizGr]

It will be just one. Or, if he wasn't a snake eating type, two in the one tank. However, the 55 he's currently in is not going to be for snakes, but will be a saltwater tank once I'm finished moving. So only one or two snakes at any time. [Hmm.. Do you suppose if the other snake is a little bigger than him he wouldn't eat it? Maybe I could have just one more...]

I did find a branch yesterday that was simply perfect! Soaked it, and was baking it while I joined the site. It curls almost to the top of his to be 29 gallon, only a couple inches lower, so truly perfect. He also has an antler in there, just cause I think they look cool. He doesn't get any of my still life bones though. He can play with them while he's out, but I don't want to have to steal them from him every time I want to do a painting.

HAHA! Sory Tyrel. I believe that I have a photo of him as my profile pic, but I'll add another one here just for you!

The facebook album of St. George! My friend Montanna is the one who named him I'm afraid, so I can't take the credit on how amazingly perfect his name is.

Welcome to Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/#%21/album.php?aid=277639&id=626697572)

For those without facebook I'll see if I can't get some photos of him up on Deviant Art. Just as soon as he has his photo shoot with my tower sculpture! We'll be making dragons out of him.

[kibakiba]

He's definitely a cutie! My garters love curling up around my hands and sleeping there, it's so cute! The way the snake is shaped makes it seem like a female, though. But I could be wrong, I've only owned Northwestern garters and I know how their faces are shaped depending on whether or not its a male or female :)if you post a picture of its tail end we could tell if it's a male or a female! Or you could look at this picture... It's not the best but I made it in a few minutes to help another member who had trouble sexing their snake :)

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/Sexing_pictures_help.JPG

[guidofatherof5]

Good diagram, Chantel.
Here's a link to a thread that may also help:
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/breeding/5069-sexing-pics.html

[MlizGr]

Hmm... Well, I'll get some nicer photos to let people get a better idea. I've only ever had this one after all, so I could easily be wrong. Of course, since St. George will likely be my only snake until he/she dies it's not a huge deal either way.

Hope these work!

St.George by ~MlizGr on deviantART (http://mlizgr.deviantart.com/art/St-George-181394639)

St.George2 by ~MlizGr on deviantART (http://mlizgr.deviantart.com/art/St-George2-181395040)

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Megan :)

[gregmonsta]

Greetings :D

[Mommy2many]

I'm leaning towards male. Let's see what the consensus says.

[Tyrel26]

I gonna do what I was always told to do and agree with mommy lol

Cause if you disagree with mommy...mommy gonna knock you out!

[Mommy2many]

Love it!
(Though Mommy is not always right):D

[Tyrel26]

SHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


(she'll hear you)

[Mommy2many]

We always hear everything and have eyes in the backs of our heads:D

[MlizGr]

Haha! Well, I was thinking male too, but I am accepting of being wrong as well. If you guys need photos from different angles let me know, but those were taken in the morning before either of us are usually awake, so he wasn't feeling particularly helpful...

[kibakiba]

My snakes aren't helpful in the morning, only after letting them sleep in my hand and in my shirt for a few hours :rolleyes: I know the feeling. But it does kind of look like a male because the tail is long and doesn't taper immediately but I'm still a beginner at sexing anything but my snakes ;)

[Mommy2many]

Let's get some old timers to chime in here!

[Stefan-A]

Let's get some old timers to chime in here!
The oldtimers are long gone.

[Mommy2many]

Okay, let me put this in a more politically correct way, "Let's get the professionals opinion in this matter"