Housing question

[katach]

I have found a home for all of my baby NW (Thank you Joe), except for the one male we are keeping (Fish Bait). My question is would it be ok to house him in the 20L with the rest of the adults now. He is about 9in long and a very good eater. I would take him out to feed, but other than that, is it safe to house a 2mo old in with the adults. The adults have shown now aggression toward him when put together for observation. Thought?

[RedSidedSPR]

I don't know. It's kinda early. The size could cause accidents.

[kibakiba]

I keep my babies, Mama, Runt and Thumbelina in a 20 gallon together and there hasn't been any problems at all. This is, of course, temporary. When Hades is done with quarantine, all the boys will have their 20 gallon, girls will have theirs and the babies will have a 15 gallon.

Just make sure to watch them carefully, and perhaps feed Fish Bait somewhere else so the big snakes don't mistake him for food.

[guidofatherof5]

I think there are 2 major concerns.

#1. It is very possible that he could get eated in a feeding accident. Even taking him out for feeding doesn't mean he'll be safe once he's put back in with the larger snakes. If he has scent on him orregurgitates they might eat him. THIS IS A REAL CONCERN.

#2. Probably less of a concern would be if he gets crushed or rolled over by one of the bigger snakes.

Just my opinion.

[RedSidedSPR]

Those were my two concerns. If he smells like food, CHOMP. bye-bye fish bait.

Then he's tiny and could get crushed, but if he's a healthy strong little guy I don't think that would be too big a problem...

[katach]

I did a test with one of the Pugets, as they were my main concern as far as aggression. I just fed the babies around 4:30. I put Toothless and Fish Bait together in the 5 gal. and gave Toothless a worm. I watched them very closely and they didn't seem to even care the other was there. Even after Toothless was done with her worm she sniffed Fish Bait, but passed right by him. I'm not too worried about him getting squished as he isn't tall enough to get up on the high shelf areas, the rest is substrate and squishy. Should I still keep them apart?

[d_virginiana]

idk about the size difference for NW garters, but I wouldn't put my 5 month old baby in with my adult yet, just because if an accident did occur, she wouldn't be able to do anything.
I tend to be overly paranoid with my animals, but I personally wouldn't risk it...

[guidofatherof5]

Should I still keep them apart?

I say YES. It's not worth the risk.

[katach]

Ok, Thanks! Maybe when he's bigger.

[RedSidedSPR]

It's not about aggression. It's about him being scented with food or something and being grabbed accidentally...

I don't think it's a huge concern, but I don't think it's worth the risk. Is there a reason you want him in there?

[katach]

The reason was so I can house Snakey and Blade together for their date. I want to put them in the 10gal. Plus Fish Bait is so used to having tank mates, if I have him all by himself he will be lonely. My 5gal is really tough to clean and the ventilation is not all that great either.

[RedSidedSPR]

Oh. Good reasons!

But I still don't think it's worth the risk. Imagine how you'd feel if seething did happen

[guidofatherof5]

To be upfront with you I'm violating the very advice I just gave you. My lone surviving Northwestern baby is living with adult Northwesterns.
I'm hoping I can get away with it for awhile longer. Until this baby becomes a longterm eater. Moving all its siblings to a different enclosure proved to be too stressful for them and they died.
I hope to only have this baby in there of another couple of weeks. Then she will be moved.

[katach]

So as long as I keep a very close eye on him, and bathe him after eating do you think a month would be ok. That's about how long I'm think it will take for Blade and Snakey to do their thing.

[guidofatherof5]

I don't think anyone can say with certainty.

[RedSidedSPR]

It's like with anything. It's probably fine. But on the slim chance it isn't, it's not worth the risk. Cause the RISK IS there.

[zooplan]

If we have a glance at our main paragon, the nature, we see, that babies and adults mostly live apart.
Garter Snakes are quiet sociable as snakes, but hunting and feeding is still a very personal thing for them too.
Based on the canibalism that occurs sometimes, when gravid females share an enclosure with theirs hubbies,
I would guess that small snakes have prey issues without smelling like fish!

[kibakiba]

Mama and Anakey were together through her most ravenous gravid months, only to be taken out when she was very close to give birth. She didn't try eating him at all, until after when I was attempting to get him to get all of his breeding energy out. She grabbed him while he was eating, the worm got all over him, so he was scented like food.

[RedSidedSPR]

Who's Anakey?

[kibakiba]

A nakey Snakey.
I'm withdrawaling, so I'm not paying any attention to spelling at all.
His nick name is "Nakey" because my niece and nephew can't say "snakey"
So, it technically A Nakey works.

[RedSidedSPR]

Yeah.