Advice and guidance

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

I caught a snake!!! She (I think it's a she) is pretty calm and not a biter. She is not spectacular color wise, but I think she is pretty. I think she is a North Western. Can I get confirmation on what kind she is?? Can she be kept with my Eastern?? She is a bit smaller. Probably because Failte is so well fed :) Anything that may help I appreciate :) Thanks.
Here she is...
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/Sweet_Malibu/Failte/IMG_0005-2.jpg

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/Sweet_Malibu/Failte/IMG_0003.jpg

[frostyftw]

Is it just me or is there no picture there?

[RedSidedSPR]

Just you.:p

She's pretty! Looks eastern-ish to me... I guess it could be a northwestern though.

I wouldn't put her with your other because of the parasites and god knows what kind of other stuff... But size-wise and species-wise I would be fine.

[frostyftw]

Yeah, for some reason, pictures only show up sometimes with my computer.

[RedSidedSPR]

Yeah, for some reason, pictures only show up sometimes with my computer.

Here. See if this works.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/Sweet_Malibu/Failte/IMG_0005-2.jpg

[kibakiba]

It looks too big to be a northwestern. Maybe a western terr... Uhhh... Wandering garter or something. Haha. I can't remember what we have here. How big is she?

[RedSidedSPR]

Yeeeeaah, it does look like a wandering!

And a NW.

I forgot you don't have easterns. Nevermind. It doesn't even look like one to me anymore.:rolleyes:

[guidofatherof5]

I say it's not a Northwestern.

I'm going with T.e.vagrans(Wandering Garter Snake) I base it on those dots along the dorsal stripe.

[kibakiba]

Yeah, the brown and yellow is common to wanderings here from what I've seen. I had a baby wandering... He looked a lot different than NW babies. Verrrry big head... He looked more like something else that isn't a snake. Haha.

[RedSidedSPR]

I'm thinkin' that too.

That would be another reason for not keeping them together. They're cannibalistic.

[kibakiba]

NWs also have the dorsal stripe dots, at least in some places. Mama does, and some of the babies do. The rest of them are pure black, so I cant tell.

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

Thats it, Wandering. Yes, that her. Cannibals huh?? Not good. Alone it is :)

[RedSidedSPR]

Well, CAN be. I just personally never want to risk it.

[katach]

A size reference would be helpful. Some of my NW babies have those exact markings. Could just be a really big NW (like Kendra). Where exactly was she found in WA?

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

She was found in Moses Lake, in front of my house. I will try and measure her. She is pretty easy to handle. Not mean, just curious. It probably feels weird to be touched and held. If I had to guess, I would say she is about 20 inches or so?? And is about as big around as my pinky finger. She is only a yearling I figured.

[katach]

I would lean toward a NW then. That is about the size of our girls.

[kibakiba]

Face shape isn't NW, though. NW are polymorphic, so they can look like anything as babies. They normally do a complete change before adulthood.

[katach]

Was just looking at the species and their geographical mapping. Wandering it is. :D

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

Okay so I am not going to risk the newbie eating my Failte!!! So she gets her own set up. Normally do Wandering garters make as good of pets as the others?? She is clearly curious and not vicious :)

[kibakiba]

They can make good pets, but they need to be kept by them selves.

[PINJOHN]

Okay so I am not going to risk the newbie eating my Failte!!! So she gets her own set up. Normally do Wandering garters make as good of pets as the others?? She is clearly curious and not vicious :)

if you wish to know how your new snake came by it's name there is a poem in garter gathering thread which will explain :D:D

[drache]

congrats on your lovely new garter
I've got no experience with northwesterns, but I have a vagrans male, and he is the sweetest critter ever
it's not something I'd recommend with just any vagrans, but I've housed him with other males
since I found out that they're cannibalistic, he's only been housed with one huge marcianus male, but before that he was even for a while in a large community enclosure with five other males of varying sizes - scary to think of it now
he is a rather careful eater, and it appears that he prefers his food dead anyhow
anyway - he's got that endearing habit of sticking his head up like a periscope more than any other of my garters
and while his colours may not be flashy, he is very beautiful, with subtle russets and copper - I'm sure yours looks much better in the flesh also

[infernalis]

Okay so I am not going to risk the newbie eating my Failte!!! So she gets her own set up. Normally do Wandering garters make as good of pets as the others?? She is clearly curious and not vicious :)


Both of my wanderings are mellow and calm, but they do live alone in separate cages.

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

We have named our new boy Pumpkin. Piper named him. And yes, He is a "he". I was mistaken about him being a female. He has his own cage now and is sweet and calm as ever. But he will not eat. No worms, no pinkies, no guppies. I know if he wont eat I will have to let him go. But it is getting cold here and so I need to get this taken care of. I have never cut up a pinkie so I need to know what to do so he can try that. Just cut off its little legs?? If he wont eat, how long can I try before letting him go?? I wanna keep him, I love him already :) He is very healthy, but not fat. He has gone potty 2 days ago. 3056
3057Little escapees!!!

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

I just thought, I have not tried Silversides with him yet. I am going to try that. I hope this works :)

[katach]

Slugs maybe?

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

He did it!!!! Yay Pumpkin. He didn't eat a ton, but about 5 small pieces. Good boy, now he is mine :D

[guidofatherof5]

That's great.
Daily feeding of small meals would be great.

[katach]

Awesome! Congrats!

[RedSidedSPR]

THats awesome!
What he eat??

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

Yep, I am very happy about it. He reminds me so much of my original sneaky snake who died in 04. I am thrilled to be able to keep him :) What he ate was some silverside chunks. I cut them up for him. I am going to get a good vent shot. I am back and forth on the sex of this snake. I need to have you all just tell me. LOL :)

[RedSidedSPR]

Fire away

[katach]

Ready.

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

Okay, now I am convinced she is a female!!! I Here is the shots to look at... 3074

[kibakiba]

It looks female to me.

[katach]

Looks like a girl to me too.

[guidofatherof5]

I concur, female.

[RedSidedSPR]

What they said.:)

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

I want to try and get pictures of both girls together. Is it okay for me to just hold both of them together or are they likely to bite at each other?? I am picturing a tiny cat fight in my hands. Lol :)

[guidofatherof5]

It shouldn't create any issues.

[ConcinusMan]

I say it's not a Northwestern.

I'm going with T.e.vagrans(Wandering Garter Snake) I base it on those dots along the dorsal stripe.

I agree. Head is all wrong to be a northwestern. Definitely looks fairly typical for a WA wandering. (T. elegans vagrans)

The much larger head that is well offset from the neck, and like Steve said, the dots that sort of overlap the dorsal stripe, are a good way to tell them apart from northwesterns. Northwesterns have much smaller heads in relation to their body, and narrow snouts with sometimes a sort of "square" nose. Wanderings will have large broad heads that are more rounded.

I wouldn't keep them together. The wandering just might get irritated with the northwestern and eat it. Chances are pretty slim, but it does happen.

[brain]

FYI
Thamnophis elegans (http://www1.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/herp/html/4thel.html)

[katach]

That was a great article where did you find it? Were there ones on NW and Pugets?

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

Okay, I got pictures of my girls together :) Pumpkin has a much smaller head and it is more square as well. 3153

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

Also here is a good photo of Pumpkins little face. 3154

[guidofatherof5]

Looking good Pumpkin!