Good snake days

[chris-uk]

I feel the need to elicit some jealous responses ;)

I've had a good snake day today. It started with a 45 minute drive to a fellow garter nut to pickup a pair of Western Blacknecks. While I was there it would have been rude not to check out the collection (having been there before to collect the Cuitzeos I knew what was in there). So started off with getting musked by a female San Francisco, she calmed down fairly quickly.
Then a 2 year-old Dice Snake (Natrix tessellata) , not a Tham, but it's a Natrix so close enough. She was great, reluctant to come out but then happily wrapped herself round my wrist while we chatted for 10-15 minutes. They're great snakes, so I'm hoping the female breeds next year so I can get a couple.
Next up, the pair of Western Blacknecks that I'd driven over to collect. Stunning snakes and the female has a really vivid dorsal stripe. I'm happy to have added these two to our vivs.
Then I had a hold of a Natrix, I think it was one of the southern European species. Lovely silver and black patterning. I can understand why a lot of you rave and lust after Natrix.

On the whole I think it was a good snake day.

[snakehill]

Pictures please!!! :)

[Stefan-A]

I had a good snake day yesterday. As I was moving my idiot tetrataenia back to its enclosure after the weekly cleaning session, it decided to musk me and released about a bucket of musk all over my hands, the floor and the enclosures under its own. Fortunately, that liquid turned out to be completely odorless. Not one detectable scent molecule. Much like Zoidberg, she too has a weak stink gland.

[chris-uk]

The tetra that musked on me wasn't strong smelling either, definitely not as strong as our cuitzeoensis. Makes me wonder if it's a trait that runs in species, or just varies from snake to snake.

[Stefan-A]

The tetra that musked on me wasn't strong smelling either, definitely not as strong as our cuitzeoensis. Makes me wonder if it's a trait that runs in species, or just varies from snake to snake.
The day I got her, she did produce a descent stink, but the smell has been declining over the years. She did the same trick at the vet this summer. Didn't smell much then, either.

Thamnophis musk still isn't anything compared to Natrix musk. I usually get to smell that 1-3 times a week, depending on their mood.

[EasternGirl]

Nice to hear about your good snake day Chris!

[katach]

I've never seen or smelled any musk from our Pugets. Not even when we caught them. Not sure if that is a Puget trait or not, but it makes me pretty happy, because our NW are the smelliest!

[EasternGirl]

Hermes likes to musk me...the little bugger;). Cee Cee and Seely have never been muskers. Cee Cee did poop all over me once recently though...lol.

[johnc79@hotmail.com]

Hi Chris, glad you enjoyed my collection :-) your right about the musk definitely varies between species. I'd say when the natrix persa does it though that's the worse one by far!

[chris-uk]

One of the great things about your collection John is that by the time most of them are ready to breed, we should have more space. :)

[guidofatherof5]

A good snake day indeed.

[johnc79@hotmail.com]

One of the great things about your collection John is that by the time most of them are ready to breed, we should have more space. :)

Fingers crossed eh! Your both welcome to see my collection anytime. Maybe converting the garage sooner that I thought !

[chris-uk]

It's good to chat with someone else that loves these "starter" snakes and actually knows about them, most snake people know nothing about garters, so I'm sure we'll visit again. The forum is great, but despite working with the Internet for 15 years I still think it's nicer to chat face-to-face. And of course it's very difficult to covert your snakes online or on the phone.
I showed Char some pictures of Dice Snakes, and told her about your girl's temperament. If you find yourself needing to re-home her let me know. :)

[PINJOHN]

Congratulations on the new snakes and you are right to admire the dice snake they are superb, tessallata, moura, and persa are on my list sooner rather than later, Stefan and john are spot on about the grassnake musk, its a few years since last it happened but the memory lingers [and so does the smell] :eek:

[chris-uk]

Congratulations on the new snakes and you are right to admire the dice snake they are superb, tessallata, moura, and persa are on my list sooner rather than later, Stefan and john are spot on about the grassnake musk, its a few years since last it happened but the memory lingers [and so does the smell] :eek:

JohnC may be able to help you out with a tessallata next year, I think he said she'd be old enough to breed next year. But I'm making sure I get in the queue ahead of you :). His other natrix are going to have another couple of years before they're ready.