New addition to the family...

[EasternGirl]

I just purchased a male checkered albino baby from a breeder...he will be arriving next Tuesday. Very excited about this new addition to the family! :p

[kibakiba]

Congrats! I hope he makes it to your house safe and sound!

[guidofatherof5]

That's great. We want pictures as soon as possible, please.;)

[EasternGirl]

I hope so too...Where do I find the caresheets on here?

[Char361979]

Checkereds are awsome. We have four all girls, one is an albino. She was the snake that started our garter obsession, her name is Binky and she is the sweetest and easiest to handle of all our snakes.

[guidofatherof5]

I hope so too...Where do I find the caresheets on here?


Garter Snake Care Sheet - Caresheets (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet)

[EasternGirl]

I just emailed the breeder and asked for a pic of the little guy....I will post as soon as I have one...I hope he makes it here okay! I'm so excited...went out and got him a new enclosure today! Can't wait to see him!

[EasternGirl]

Okay...maybe that wasn't what I was looking for...didn't we used to have info sheets on each specific type of garter? Looking for specific info on checkereds...albino checkereds if we have that...

[guidofatherof5]

Okay...maybe that wasn't what I was looking for...didn't we used to have info sheets on each specific type of garter? Looking for specific info on checkereds...albino checkereds if we have that...


Checkered Garter Snake - Caresheets (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Checkered_Garter_Snake)

[EasternGirl]

Thanks! So the scientific name is thamnophis marcianus or T.marcianus? And are these a type of easterns or no?

[guidofatherof5]

Flames. There sorta neat. :D

[EasternGirl]

They're a type of flame? That is a specific type of garter? Oh I have so much to learn! I thought a flame was an eastern...oh I have so much to learn! Where can I learn more about all of the different types?

[guidofatherof5]

They're a type of flame? That is a specific type of garter? Oh I have so much to learn! I thought a flame was an eastern...oh I have so much to learn! Where can I learn more about all of the different types?

Sorry, Brain fart. Time to up my meds. Flames are Easterns.

[chris-uk]

Thanks! So the scientific name is thamnophis marcianus or T.marcianus? And are these a type of easterns or no?
T. marcianus and Thamnophis marcianus are the same, the "T." is just abbreviated. With scientific names the genus is always capitalised and the species is lowercase (as is the subspecies if there is one).
Easterns are T. sirtarlis, so no, checkereds aren't a type of eastern.

[kibakiba]

Checkereds are checkereds. Easterns are a Sirtalis, not marcianus.

[guidofatherof5]

Let's try this again.
"Pastel/Hypo" are a beautiful T.marcainus.

[EasternGirl]

Okay...I think I've got it! Thanks guys...now, where can I learn more about all of the different types of garters? And...just to throw one more question into the mix...when you have the numbers...for example 0.1 T. marcianus....if someone puts 0.1.1...what is the last number for? A baby?

[Stefan-A]

Thanks! So the scientific name is thamnophis marcianus or T.marcianus? And are these a type of easterns or no?
Thamnophis marcianus is the full name of the species. Once the full name has been mentioned in a context, it can be shortened to T. marcianus. If the subspecies is Thamnophis marcianus marcianus, it can be shortened to Thamnophis m. marcianus, or T. m. marcianus, but if the species name is not the same as the subspecies name, you write the full name. For example, Thamnophis marcianus bovallii, you can only shorten it to T. marcianus bovallii.

Scientific names are always written in italics, except when the rest of the text is. The name of the genus, which is Thamnophis in this case, always begins with a capital letter. Species and subspecies names never begin with a capital letter. If you use have to use terms like "sp.", for example Thamnophis sp., only the first part is in italics, the latter part is never.

Eastern garters are a subspecies of the Common Garter, Thamnophis sirtalis.

[Stefan-A]

Okay...I think I've got it! Thanks guys...now, where can I learn more about all of the different types of garters? And...just to throw one more question into the mix...when you have the numbers...for example 0.1 T. marcianus....if someone puts 0.1.1...what is the last number for? A baby?
males.females.unknown

[kibakiba]

the last number is "unsexed/unknown"

[EasternGirl]

Okay...how do you know what the subspecies is for a T. marcianus? If my checkered is albino does that make him a particular subspecies?

Is there a good book I can get that talks about the different types of garters?

[guidofatherof5]

Thamnophis marcianus (Checkered Garter Snake)
T. m. bovallii
T. m. marcianus
T. m. praeocularis

[guidofatherof5]

I found this video done by Stefan. It list the current recognized garter snakes and subspecies.

B24h1SNQRZQ

[EasternGirl]

Very cool...any books anyone could recommend would be great to add to my Christmas list too :).

[guidofatherof5]

Books? Garter snake books?

[EasternGirl]

I mean books specifically discussing the different types of garters...

[guidofatherof5]

Well, there's not much discussion as it is more about the scientific identification of all garter snakes.
I love it and recommend it to anyone.
You can usually find a used copy at a good price on Amazon or ebay. A good price would be $30-$50 dollars.
I see Amazon has a few used ones for $40 + shipping.
Amazon.com: Used and New: The Garter Snakes: Evolution and Ecology (Animal Natural History Series) (http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0806128208/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used)
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/book6.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

I found this thread which might give you some book ideas.
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/garter-snake-lounge/9414-looking-some-good-reading.html#post189017

[infernalis]

Well, there's not much discussion as it is more about the scientific identification of all garter snakes.
I love it and recommend it to anyone.
You can usually find a used copy at a good price on Amazon or ebay. A good price would be $30-$50 dollars.
I see Amazon has a few used ones for $40 + shipping.
Amazon.com: Used and New: The Garter Snakes: Evolution and Ecology (Animal Natural History Series) (http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0806128208/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used)
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/book6.jpg


Should be on everyone's book shelf.

[guidofatherof5]

Should be on everyone's book shelf.

Mine never makes it to the shelf but I know what you're saying Wayne.

[EasternGirl]

Awesome...thank you! Will put it on my Christmas list...sounds like an excellent way to spend Christmas day...lounging and reading about garters!

[EasternGirl]

Richard...I noted that you told the new member with the checkered albino that baby garters need to eat often..about 3-4 times a week...but not to overfeed. I believe that my new little guy that is on his way is eating pinkies. How many pinkies do you think I should offer...one small chopped pinky at each feeding?

[EasternGirl]

Tomorrow is the day! Getting very excited!!! What do you guys think about the name Hermes? He is the Greek god of animal husbandry...

[katach]

Sounds good to me. :)

[EasternGirl]

:)

[EasternGirl]

Hermes is here! He is the tiniest, most adorable little thing I have ever seen! He just slithered around in my hand...so sweet...and peed on me. Now he is burrowed down in his substrate in his new home resting. The only pics I have right now are kind of blurry......I'll get better ones later:

33923393 Just wanted everyone to see how small he is...couldn't really hold him and hold the camera...:rolleyes:.

[snakehill]

He's a cutie!!! :)

[ScimitarX]

He's lovely :)

[chris-uk]

Albino checkered? I can't tell from the photos, but he looks like our Binky would through the bottom of a milk bottle. :)
I think Binky spent most of the first few days burrowed in the substrate, they're hard to spot if you use aspen.

.... and you'll need to update your signature now. I was considering this and worked out that to be truely elite on this forum you need so many snakes that you can't list them in your signature.

[PINJOHN]

i am sure that everyone will agree that no snake will be loved and pampered more than this melanin challenged little fellow,....enjoy your little friend

[EasternGirl]

Okay, signature updated. Yes, he is an albino checkered. Thanks everyone! I am in love already...

[tress29]

...couldn't really hold him and hold the camera...:rolleyes:.

I experienced that myself! Hermes is cute, and I do like the name.

[guidofatherof5]

Glad he arrived safely and you can get some sleep now.;)

[EasternGirl]

Oh I still haven't slept! He's alert and exploring and making me nervous in that tank I have him in...I'm going out to get him a better tank with a slide lock lid like the girls have when Julian gets home from school....once I don't have to worry about him escaping...I'll be able to rest. Here's a funny...Selena and Cee Cee must have overheard me talking about how cute the new snake is...so they thought "Quick! Do something really cute so she'll still think we're the cutest snakes ever!"....I swear they plan these poses...

3394

[guidofatherof5]

I would have to say that is cute but I seriously doubt Cee Cee and Selena have anything to worry about.

[EasternGirl]

I showed Hermes to Cee Cee...she was very interested in him...of course she was probably thinking "Mmmm..that looks delicious!" lol.... Hermes has informed me that while he is happy to have a new home, I need to leave him the bleep alone now...he is not a new bleepin' toy! So...I probably won't be getting anymore pics of him tonight. Julian held him though...his first time holding a snake! I figured Hermes would be a good first garter to hold...non-threatening and all. I may try to feed him tonight...Jason said he hasn't eaten since Saturday and I think he may have been looking for food earlier. Anyway...here is a pic that Jason had sent me of him so that you guys can get a better look at him:

3395