How many will fit?

[tress29]

OK, I've decided to get some garters when I get back from Thanksgiving break. How many could I comfortably house in my 20L? What sex calms down and accepts handling more readily (opinions please!?) Our hognose isn't too wiggly, I've played on Pogo.com while holding him.

[guidofatherof5]

How many depends on size of the snakes.
Females as a rule are quick to trust and calm down.
If you're talking about young adults I would think 2 could live in a 20 long.
Full size adults should have more room.

[tress29]

How many depends on size of the snakes.

Is there a chart somewhere that shows adult sizes per species or do I have to go from page to page to compile one?!

[guidofatherof5]

Adults of the different species range in size.
Best to figure out what you are interested in and it's availablilty.
If you're purchasing snakes you will probably be buying young (under 1 year old) snakes.
A 20 long will work fine for awhile with them.

[tress29]

Do you still use the width of tank + depth of tank should be > than the length of the snake rule of thumb?!

[guidofatherof5]

I know there is a formula used but I don't know it.
I think I remember Wayne posting it once.

[kibakiba]

I think that if a snake can have its body touching one side of the width, and the length of it (Like this, |_ ) the tank is too small to hold the snake. I hope that makes sense, I can't illustrate it right now... So you'll just have to make out all of my gibberish :D

[d_virginiana]

Did you mean a 20 Gallon or a 20 Liter? In the first post you wrote 20L... Because a 20 Liter is about 5 gallons, which would be too small for even a fairly young snake.

Like Steve said, a 20 long is good for a couple babies, but they'll need to be moved as they grow. A 20-25 gallon is okay for one adult, but the more room the better. My 2.5 foot adult eastern is perfectly happy in a 25 gallon, but even being totally blind he utilizes every bit of floor space in it as well as some hanging vines I've installed. They're very energetic snakes.

Most garters end up around 2.5 feet (males) to 3.5 feet (females). There are some species like Northwesterns that are considerably smaller, but a lot of the more commonly sold species like Easterns and Radixes usually fit in that size range.

Temperament seems more based off of species than gender. Males are generally more active, while females prefer to stay still more, but both settle down equally well. Just a heads up though; your buying options are going to be pretty limited this time of year since breeding goes on in the spring. Do some research on exactly what you want before getting one.

[kibakiba]

20L is usually what people use for a "20 gallon long", meaning it's longer than it is high :)

[d_virginiana]

Ohh, that makes sense now! I was on the goldfish forum earlier, so I'm still thinking Liters. lol

Also, I just realized that I have stayed up so late that people from the other side of the country are awake and posting. Wow.

[kibakiba]

I do that allll the time ;)

[infernalis]

I always just go by sight.

If you have a small male, a 10 gallon aquarium is sufficient, Heck even a couple smaller males would be OK.

A larger male or average female would suffice in a 20 long, but a pair of larger females would get a little crowded in there. I kept a M/F pair of average sized radix in a 20 long for years, and they were just fine.

If your caging is too small and you have 2 or more snakes in there, they will constantly be crawling all over each other and smearing poo on one another.

[tress29]

Just a heads up though; your buying options are going to be pretty limited this time of year since breeding goes on in the spring.
Since I'd rather not pay shipping, I will probably be limited to whatever Jason has left after the reptile show last weekend!

[EasternGirl]

I have two girls that live in a 20L comfortably...Selena is pretty small, but Cee Cee is a big garter...almost 3 feet long. They always have plenty of room to explore, burrow, etc.

[d_virginiana]

My snake has plenty of room and STILL manages to smear poop all over himself. It's like he practices.

Before I really knew what I was doing I had my male in a 10 gallon and thought it was fine, since he seemed to just lay around all the time. He's wayyy more active now that he's got a 25 gallon. He's just over 2.5 feet though, so he's about as big as a male can get. My baby is currently in the 10 gallon and, being an incredibly lazy girl, utilizes about 1/3 of it. :p

[kimbosaur]

I've been keeping two babies in separate 5 gallons and I find that they are both so lazy. They're always in their hides. There is a temp gradient of about 10 degrees (or more) created using multiple levels so that shouldn't be the issue. Hopefully an upgrade will make them want to explore more because I think they are starting to get pretty cramped.