Hello, I´m new here!

[Falcon]

Hello everyone!

I´m Falcon and I´m living in Monterrey Mexico.

For the last six years I´ve been taking care of my boa cook, but today I received a gift, and I believe is a Thamnophis proximus orarius, am I right?

Now, I´ve been searching some info, and I´ve a few questions, if you can link me to the info, well, I will be very grateful, that would we awesome!

1. What do she need in her new house?
a heater?
how much water?
a filter?

2. They told me she will eat three fishes every week, is that all? is that right?

3. What else I need to know?

Thanks again,
Liliana.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=289299&id=724681493&l=bd47aac0a3

http://http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150134566686494&set=a.10150134566296494.289299.724681493&theater

Recién llegada | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=289299&id=724681493&l=bd47aac0a3)
(http://http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=289299&id=724681493&l=bd47aac0a3)

[Stefan-A]

1. The snake needs a water bowl, a basking spot and somewhere to hide. Those are the three most important things. The substrate must remain completely dry, so it's not possible to make an aquaterrarium by filling it with water and piling substrate in one end of the enclosure to make land. Just in case that's why you asked about the filter.

2. How many fish to feed it depends on the size of the fish. The simplest way to find out roughly how much to feed a snake, is by weighing it first and then the fish. The snake should be fed 10-20% of its weight in fish per week, divided over 1-3 feedings depending on how quickly the snake is growing. The bigger it gets, the less food it will need relative to its size. If it eats less than that, it's okay.

3. What else do you need to know? ;)

Check out the general care sheet in our articles section:
Garter Snake Care Sheet - Caresheets (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet)


Your snake is not a Thamnophis proximus orarius, but it is definitely a Thamnophis species.


Welcome aboard.

[ConcinusMan]

Your snake is not a Thamnophis proximus orarius, but it is definitely a Thamnophis species.


I agree. It's definitely not a T. proximus orarius, but it is a Thamnophis, and therefore still a garter (or ribbon:rolleyes:) snake. It looks somewhat like a blackneck garter snake (Thamnophis cyrtopsis) but don't take that as an expert I.D.

What you have there is a garter snake but not exactly like any I have ever seen. It only resembles T. cyrtopsis but I cannot be sure. It shares similarities but is not a typical example of most T. cyrtopsis. There are species' of garter snakes south of the U.S./Mexico border that are poorly described or understood, or at the very least, are not very familiar to most people around the world.

Whatever you have there, it's very good looking. Seems healthy, is pretty, but not a T. proximus orarius.

Keep it's enclosure dry and clean. The snake only needs a bowl of clean water to drink, a place to hide, and the ability to choose different temperature ranges throughout his enclosure. Plants and places to hide will help reduce stress and help the snake feel safe. Boas do just fine being kept very warm and humid. Small garter snakes need to have a choice of temperature range and generally kept cooler than boas. They need a temperature gradient. The care sheet explains. Garter Snake Care Sheet - Caresheets (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet#Heat_Sourc e)

"It's best to provide a temperature gradient within the enclosure, so the snake(s) can choose the temperature that suits them at any given time. The daytime range should be between about 72-88F (22-30C). Nighttime temperatures shouldn't regularly fall below about 65F (18C) for northern species or 75F (21C) for southern species."

It is nice to have you here. I look forward to hearing more and learning more about your garter snake.:D

I think this snake just might be a blackneck garter. perhaps a locality specific morph. They are variable enough to put that in the range of possibility.

[PINJOHN]

Hi Liliana welcome to the site, there is no shortage of friendly people to help give you all the information you may need,so stick with us there's not another site quite like it
pinjohn sunny Liverpool :)

[guidofatherof5]

Nice having you on the forum Liliana.
Beautiful snake.
Have tried feeding night crawlers?

[drache]

welcome to the forum, Liliana
your garter is beautiful

[mustang]

Hi, welcome!!!!!

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Welcome to the forum Liliana. Looks to me like a blackneck also thamnophis cyrtopsis cyrtopsis.

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Liliana :)

[NikkiSixx]

OLLO!!! From Utah!! Welcome to the forum!! :-)

[Falcon]

Wow!
I can´t find the words to explain you all how grateful I am for your words and your welcomes. Thank you for sharing!
I´m reading right now the care sheet, great tool, I feel very silly because I couldn´t find it before...
Now... could you believe that I asked in a pet store -they had a pair of gartner snakes in a tank- and they told me that I must fill in the tank with water and take care of the snake like a turtle?
Anyway, I´m so glad i´m here with you guys, I´m looking fordward to learn so much!
thanks again,
Liliana.

p.s. nightcrawlers? mmmh, No, I haven´t but I will try...
p.s. I do my best with my english, please excuse me if I´m not good enough!

[ConcinusMan]

I asked in a pet store -they had a pair of gartner snakes in a tank- and they told me that I must fill in the tank with water and take care of the snake like a turtle?

p.s. nightcrawlers? mmmh, No, I haven´t but I will try...
p.s. I do my best with my english, please excuse me if I´m not good enough!

If the pet store cares for their garter snakes like that, they will not live very long. Wet conditions cause blister disease, which is an infection of the skin. Garter snakes are often found in or near water but they are not water snakes. They need a dry enclosure but they also need access to clean water at all times. Humidity should be moderate, not high. Don't forget that they need an enclosure that is big enough so that you can provide a warm place on one end, (30-32 degrees C) while the rest of the enclosure is only about 21-23 degrees C. If they are kept too warm, or too cold, and do not have the ability to choose their temperature, they are vulnerable to respiratory infections, colds, pneumonia.

Here is a good example of how to provide a temperature gradient and comfortable home for your snake. The bright light on the right side makes the temperature about 30 degrees. The left side of the enclosure is only about 21 degrees. The snakes can choose. I think this is very important. The artificial plants and places to hide make your snake feel safe and happy. If your house is very warm, then you probably don't need hot lights.
S5tY5tGRvDI

Your English is good enough.;)

[gregmonsta]

Greetings :D

[Mix]

Welcome, from England! :)

[Mommy2many]

Welcome to the forum from Connecticut!

[sirtalis01]

Hola liliana y vienvenida a el forum....haqui todos son buenas personas y te alludaremos como mejor podamos...tu serpiente esta bien bonita
julio desde new york :)

[nitrogen15]

Welcome from Canada :)

That's a lovely snake. I know nothing about southern species, so I can't help ID. Looks kinda like T. pulchrilatus.

Thamnophis Scaliger - Mexican Garter Snake - My Pet Forums (http://www.thamfriends.com/forum/showthread.php?t=381)

[ConcinusMan]

By golly that very well could be. That explains why it looks so different from most blacknecks I've seen.

"This species (T. pulchrilatus) was long confused with Thamnophis cyrtopsis, a species with which it shares a striking resemblance (and is clearly closely allied to)"

T. pulchrilatus:

http://mexico-herps.com/Serpentes/Thamnophis_sp.jpg

Your snake:
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/attachments/welcome-lounge/1651d1301533243-hello-i-m-new-here-174.jpg

[Spankenstyne]

Welcome to the site!

[Falcon]

By golly that very well could be. That explains why it looks so different from most blacknecks I've seen.

"This species (T. pulchrilatus) was long confused with Thamnophis cyrtopsis, a species with which it shares a striking resemblance (and is clearly closely allied to)"

T. pulchrilatus:

http://mexico-herps.com/Serpentes/Thamnophis_sp.jpg

Your snake:
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/attachments/welcome-lounge/1651d1301533243-hello-i-m-new-here-174.jpg

THANK YOU!!!
It´s great to know!
Really!

[Falcon]

Welcome from Canada :)

That's a lovely snake. I know nothing about southern species, so I can't help ID. Looks kinda like T. pulchrilatus.

Thamnophis Scaliger - Mexican Garter Snake - My Pet Forums (http://www.thamfriends.com/forum/showthread.php?t=381)

GREAT! Thank you so much, you do helped me a lot indeed!

[Falcon]

Hola liliana y vienvenida a el forum....haqui todos son buenas personas y te alludaremos como mejor podamos...tu serpiente esta bien bonita
julio desde new york :)


Hola Julio... mil gracias por tu bienvenida, realmente es encantador poder hablar el idioma natal de cuando en cuando... gracias por los piropos a mi serpiente, un saludo para ti y los tuyos...

Liliana.