CB vs WC Opinions Please

[snakehill]

I was wondering what differences there may be between CB and WC garters when it comes to temperament, feeding and general husbandry etc. I know every snake is different but I'm curious and would like to know what differences have been observed by everyone. Thanks:cool:

[Plissken]

One difference I can think of is that worms and other parasites are more likely to occur in WC snakes and need to be treated, which can be pricey. CB snakes would rarely have worms or other parasites depending on food quality and general care by its owner.

[guidofatherof5]

I can only speak of my radixes when it comes to wild caught but I see no difference after they have settled in.
Some of my best behaved snakes were caught right outside my front door.
I see very little difference betwwen CB and WC.(T.radix)

[RedSidedSPR]

Neither is better. I have two CB, and one WC

CB are healthier, but WC can be treated with deworming meds and be just as healthy (usually)

If you get CB you know all about it, he's eating, etc, but most WC can adapt really well.

Personally i think it's better to buy the snake, than to catch it, but it's up to you. Both are just fine. I'm all for WC snakes

[jitami]

I have two of each and don't see a huge difference in temperament, although the CB kids are a little less flighty. However, garters are so inexpensive that there's really no reason not to just get a captive bred pet. By the time you spend money on treating parasites on the wild caught snake you could have easily paid for the price of a snake and shipping from a reputable breeder who will be there to answer questions, help get your little guy situated, etc. You'll know the snake is feeding, exactly what it prefers to eat, etc. A lot of the guess work and experimenting to get things right is removed. It took a good month to 6 weeks to get everything figured out for my first, WC, garter whereas the CB babies arrived and settled right in with no fuss at all.

[snakehill]

I absolutely agree or I would have hundreds of garters!!!!! The problem is that no one in my area sell garters, they are not even available at the few reptile shows we have!:(

[d_virginiana]

Have you looked at the classifieds section of this forum or on other websites? There's a lot of people who are willing to ship. It can get pretty expensive, but you might still come out better than you would trying to treat wc snakes for parasites n' such.

[RedSidedSPR]

It does get pretty expensive (shipping), but that's always an option, and works just fine,

[kibakiba]

I have 4 (mostly) adults that are WC and they are tame as can be, my CB babies are pretty tame. My CB concinnus are flighty and bad tempered, but are always loved.

[snakehill]

I'ts funny, I see garter snakes in my yard all the time. Now that I'm looking for one forget about it!:rolleyes:

[ConcinusMan]

No difference in temperment. A snake is a snake. A WC snake can become accustom to you and learn not to fear you, just as any CB snake can. But as was already mentioned, WC snakes nearly always carry a parasite load. It can range from mild and having no apparent effect on the snake, to a heavy load which may include tapeworms and effects the snake's appetite, body mass, and immunity. Garters can live for many years while carrying a parasite load, but the bottom line is, they are much better off without the parasite load.

If you're brave enough to try it, and armed with a little knowledge of how to do it, you can treat snakes for parasites yourself for pennies. The meds are extremely cheap and available OTC. It's getting the dosage right that's critical. For that you need access to a very accurate scale capable of measuring micrograms.

It's hard on a reptile to get dewormed. You're essentially giving them poison. There's a right time and a wrong time to do it. If done properly, it's worth the risk. Your snake will be healthier, have better appetite, better immunity, and will likely live longer and have fewer health issues.

I deworm all my WC snakes as a precaution. There's really no need to spend money on a vet visit and fecal exams when you can pretty much count on a WC snake having parasites. So, I just treat them as if they do have them, and every time, sure enough, they expel pinworms and sometimes tapeworms during treatment. There is almost always a weight gain and improvement in muscle tone and appetite after they are rid of the worms.

[snakehill]

I started this thread only because I am considering (for the first time ever!) catching a wild garter to keep even though I would probably end up releasing it eventually.;)

[Stefan-A]

Buy a captive bred one.

[snakehill]

You're right! I'm one of those people that can't take anything out of the wild only because I feel they were lucky (sometimes unlucky!:rolleyes:) to be born there. That's just me!;)

[ConcinusMan]

Buy a captive bred one.

Even better. And be sure to take reasonable precautions to ensure that they don't get parasites. CB is no guarantee that they are parasite free however, particularly if you buy an adult.

[RedSidedSPR]

If you have the option, you definitely want to get a CB

[BUSHSNAKE]

i prefer Wild Caught...at the moment my whole collection is wild caught that way i can keep track of lineages and take a lot of pride in offering F1 bloodlines so i have confidence in offering healthy babies and have cut out recessive traits to prevent any inbreeding

[PINJOHN]

my only negative experiences have been with wc ribbons, in spite of a number of attempts over the years i was never able to cure them of a very nervous skittish disposition, when i get round to giving then another try its captive bred or not at all.

[d_virginiana]

Probably the most habitually pissy and violent wild snakes I've ever come across are rat snakes. Water snakes and garters generally seem to have pretty good temperaments, but I'm afraid to bring one in just for the heck of it because I'd worry about passing parasites/mites/ect. to one of mine.

[ConcinusMan]

Never seen mites on a wild snake. Seen a few ticks but never mites. Mites run rampant in some people's captive collections and that's usually where you'll get them from. Especially from pet store animals.

[RedSidedSPR]

I see them all the time in PetCo (curse them :D) But never in the wild. Figures.

[infernalis]

I keep both, and temperaments seem to be the same either way.

[flickerfriend]

Almost all of my snakes are cb. except for Flicker. He's wc and prolly the sweetest snake ever. :D

[Moose]

I think it depends if you live in the country where the snakes do! Ilive in the UK & didn't think we could buy WC until i tried to find out why my Garters wereadvertised as a species which doesn't exist. they are both flighty, especially now they are in a large tank, one hates being handled, one will come to the hand if it feels like it.
Given the choice here i'd never buy WC, research is time well spent & I sort of wish i'd waited & not boughht the first ones i saw. Not that i don't like them, they give me hours of fun, but as they are half grown i don't think they'll ever settle downwhichmakes cleaning time quite stressfull for them (and me!)

[Mommy2many]

I know what you mean. My largest snake is a WC female, she is now 3 feet long and very strong. When it comes to cleaning, I'm always hesitant as she will bite every single time. Not that it hurts, just the expectation is stressful enough! I have taken to spot cleaning now, grabbing some of the substrate and replacing with clean stuff. This way she does not seem threatened or stressed, I can clean half of the tank and she seems curious enough to watch me and not bite me:D

[Didymus20X6]

When I was nervous about my WC's biting, I used a thick pair of PVC gloves. You can get them pretty cheap at your local hardware store. They're also great for washing dishes in extremely hot water - way better than those latex ones you get at the grocery store.

But I don't have any biters now.

[Selkielass]

My WC Eastern is a complete sweetie, extremely docile.
My 2 WC Butlers, who have only been 'guests' for 1 and two months are both docile, curious, and calm when gently handled, tho they are still prone to startling at sudden movements.

The Eastern took a little over a week before she began eating, and a few months of regular handling before she really settled down. The Butlers were eating within hours of 'check in'.

My CBB albino Marcianus is an eager eater (Anything, anytime, anywhere.) but has a more delicate constitution- he has shown signs of scale rot on small injuries and has digestive irregularities I never see in the wild caught snakes.

[Venti]

I think that it depends.

My one and only garter snake is WC.
He is very tame and relaxed around me.

On the other hand, some of the other garters I have caught have been very snappy and agressive, so I think it just depends on the snake.

[Kantar]

2 are mine are CB and the other 3 are WC, as newborns though, 5 inch squigglies. Except for 1 redsided. Caught as a yearling, never musked not even on capture, such a sweet 4 year old snake now.

[Mommy2many]

Love squigglies:)