^-^ Mishka my new red sided garter snake ^-^

[JodiLeigh]

Hi,

I got my very first snake a few days ago. A female, I think (70% sure) red sided garter snake about 10 months old.

She's beautiful and so friendly! I was surprised at how quickly she got used to me and she is the best pet I've had :)

I have taken some pictures, they aren't great but you get the gist.

She loves burrowing in my hair as you can see.

I was just wondering if anyone has any tips for feeding, tried feeding her last night but she didn't seem interested but the person I got her off said he hadn't fed her for a few days so means she hasn't eaten in about a week so surely she should eat, right?

I am feeding her frozen pinkies and as I was told and read up on a million different sites I warmed it up a little and cut its head a little so she could smell it better.

Is there anything else I can try? I hear you can dip it in stock but I'm not sure about that.

Any suggestions about this or any tips I should know about garter snakes in general would be greatly appreciated

Thank you

=]

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard.

[JodiLeigh]

Thank you :)

[guidofatherof5]

Welcome to the forum.
Here's a link to our awesome care sheet.
Garter Snake Forum - Garter Caresheet (http://www.thamnophis.com/index.php?page=caresheet)

Looks like she may have a minor lip infection or something caught in it(First photo and last photo)

It take awhile for them to settle in. A week isn't a long time to go without food.

Beautiful snake.

[JodiLeigh]

Thank you for the link, very helpful :)

Oh no :( I briefly read about that. She isn't salivating excessively or holding her mouth open but could that just mean it's not that bad yet?

Any advice on that? How do I find out for sure and how do I treat her?

I will let her settle for a b it longer before trying to feed her again, thank you

[ssssnakeluvr]

welcome to the forum! nice looking snake...where is she from? looks a lot like a valley garter.....

[JodiLeigh]

welcome to the forum! nice looking snake...where is she from? looks a lot like a valley garter.....
Thank you :)
She is isn't she!
What do you mean by valley?
I'm new to snakes, she was given to me by my brother who bought her from a pet shop here in England.
Do you have any advice about lip infections?

[guidofatherof5]

Do you have any advice about lip infections?

It may or may not be one. It could be healed and just scabbed over. Some close up photos would help.

It's doesn't look serious at this point but needs to be evaluated. In my opinion.

[JodiLeigh]

Ok thank you.

I will take some better pictures tomorrow

Are there any other signs I should be looking out for?

[Mommy2many]

Welcome. I think you can use neosporin or bacitracin on the lips as a precaution (advanced members interject here).
Mine also love to go thru my hair. Lovely snake and good luck!

[JodiLeigh]

Welcome. I think you can use neosporin or bacitracin on the lips as a precaution!

Where can I buy this from?


Mine also love to go thru my hair

It's funny when they do, it tickles and she comes down the front of my head and licks my face ha ha

[GarterGuy17]

Welcome to the forum !

coincidence my first snake is a red sided garter who I got about a week ago almost 2 weeks here she is 3828 she is younger than your red sided though .Hope everything goes well with that infection , very nice snake by the way ! :)

[EasternGirl]

You can by neosporin and bacitracin in pharmacies here in the states...they are antibiotic ointments. I have used Hibiclens before...which is an antibacterial cleanser that is also sold in pharmacies...you put a couple of drops of it into a cup of water and then dip a cotton swab in it and dab it gently on the infected area a couple of times a day. I'm not sure if they sell that in England though...but we have a couple of British members on here that might be able to recommend something if you can't get that. More pics will help...and we can look at the rest of her to make sure everything else looks good. If you can show us a pic of her underside...so that we can see the lower tail area, we can confirm if she is female too.

Welcome to the forum and to owning a garter snake!

[GarterGuy17]

I was wondering about one thing though referring to the pictures is it just that the pictures are dark or is the snake dark because the pattern looks the same as a red sides just in her last picture it almost looks black or black actually not really sure if its just me.

[JodiLeigh]

here she is
SO CUTE! She is very colourful, how old is she?
The pictures are dark but she is very dark, only has a little red on her yet and it's more orangey then red really.
I had noticed the darker bits in the corners of her mouth but first thought it was just part of her pattern but looking at pictures of other garters make me that isn't the case.

[JodiLeigh]

I'm not sure if they sell that in England though... More pics will help...
If they don't sell it here then I can always have a look on eBay. I think I'll treat her either way to be on the safe side.
I will take more pictures, some close up, some of her whole body and with definitely more light so you can see properly and post them on here tomorrow.
Thank you for the advice and help :)

[kibakiba]

If your in England, it might go by the name "polysporin". When I was with my ex, that was what he always had instead of neosporin. It's the same thing really, antibacterial stuff.

[EasternGirl]

Right...polysporin..I have heard of people mention that. Try looking for that too. Yes, treating her with one of those medications that we mentioned will not hurt anything...but we will get a better look at your pics tomorrow. Anyway we can help...that is what we are here for...

[GarterGuy17]

SO CUTE! She is very colourful, how old is she?
The pictures are dark but she is very dark, only has a little red on her yet and it's more orangey then red really.
I had noticed the darker bits in the corners of her mouth but first thought it was just part of her pattern but looking at pictures of other garters make me that isn't the case.

Well i'm not 100% sure but a couple months maybe about 4-5. She still just a baby and yes she is very colorful ! :D

[infernalis]

I guess better late than never.. ;)

http://www.thamfriends.com/mat.jpg

[ssssnakeluvr]

Thank you :)
She is isn't she!
What do you mean by valley?
I'm new to snakes, she was given to me by my brother who bought her from a pet shop here in England.


ok, it would be a red sided garter then, thamnophis sirtalis parietalis. Valley garters are a different subspecies, thamnophis sirtalis fitchi. the bright solid stripes and row of red spots along the side stripes look more like the valley garter than the typical red sided garter. but I don't think they have valley garters in Europe yet...

[GarterGuy17]

[QUOTE=JodiLeigh;196145]Thank you :)
She is isn't she!
What do you mean by valley?
I'm new to snakes, she was given to me by my brother who bought her from a pet shop here in England.
[QUOTE]

ok, it would be a red sided garter then, thamnophis sirtalis parietalis. Valley garters are a different subspecies, thamnophis sirtalis fitchi. the bright solid stripes and row of red spots along the side stripes look more like the valley garter than the typical red sided garter. but I don't think they have valley garters in Europe yet...

That's what I was thinking because the snake in the pictures had very bright stripes but not much red coloring which made me doubt it was a red sided. Maybe EU does have valley snakes now.

[PINJOHN]

Welcome from a mild moist Liverpool
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[gregmonsta]

[QUOTE=ssssnakeluvr;196176][QUOTE=JodiLeigh;196145]Thank you :)
She is isn't she!
What do you mean by valley?
I'm new to snakes, she was given to me by my brother who bought her from a pet shop here in England.


That's what I was thinking because the snake in the pictures had very bright stripes but not much red coloring which made me doubt it was a red sided. Maybe EU does have valley snakes now.

They're still completely unheard of here. Unfortunately that doesn't mean they haven't graced these shores (ignorant pet shops, etc). But we do have quite a lot of variation in parietalis here. Everything from high reds to very melanistic 'Northern' specimens.

P.S. - looks like a normal parietalis to me.

[ssssnakeluvr]

I agree.....I doubt any valley garters made it over there yet... the more northern red sided garters are darker with minimal red spots.

[chris-uk]

Welcome from a dull and uninspiring North Lincolnshire (I don't really live in the arse end of nowhere, up here for work for a few days).
I've noticed had to get anything lie bactrin yet, so haven't crossed that bridge, I think the good stuff you may need to get from a vet rather than over the counter.

[mikem]

welcome to the forum! nice little snake you have there :)

[JodiLeigh]

welcome to the forum! nice little snake you have there :)

XD Thank you!

[Selkielass]

What a little beauty!
My eastern, Abby also likes to burrow thru my ponytail and then rest her head on the sidepiece of my glasses. This wasn't a problem when she was less than 20 inches long, but now that she's over 30 inches long she knocks the glasses right off my nose!

Last time she was out riding in my hair she finally curled her tail around my collar, burrowed thru my hair and surveyed the world from the top of my head, like the Uraeus on a Pharoahs crown.

[JodiLeigh]

burrowed thru my hair and surveyed the world from the top of my head, like the Uraeus on a Pharoahs crown.

HA HA Yes! That is what I thought :) he he

[aquamentus_11]

Welcome to the forum !

coincidence my first snake is a red sided garter who I got about a week ago almost 2 weeks here she is 3828 she is younger than your red sided though .Hope everything goes well with that infection , very nice snake by the way ! :)


garter, where did you find your snake? I've been looking everywhere for one exactly like her.