Hard Question

[beaniesmommy]

Ok, so as you might know I am newer to garters... I have a vagrans that was our first snake and who really made me addicted to them. But, we are getting ready to go to the spot where we caught him and I am faced with something that is bothering me... Do I let him go or keep him?

He is a nice snake he has never struck at us. He is just un-holdable. He is great for visual entertainment but that is it. Since I have gotten a baby garter (who is really mellow and will let you hold him for hours) I have realized he just might be set in his ways, even after hours of trying to hold him and get him used to us. He is a great eater and has put on some weight since we have owned him. He is definatley in better condition than when we found him. I just think I want to have the tank available for some baby garters or maybe a CB that is calmer...

What do you think? Any recommendations or stories to help me out?

[Zephyr]

I have yet to get any "real" holding out of my vagrans. It may just take alot of time to tame them, but for a snake that seems to like handling, or at least tolerates it, I suggest Thamnophis sirtalis ssp.
So, it's up to you whether you want to try and get him to handling status, keep him as an observable pet, or release.
It all depends on why you got the snake. :P

[Elliot]

That's strange, my vagrans that I just got will sit in my hand for an hour and not move.

[beaniesmommy]

Well he was actually brought home to feed to my Pacman Frog, my husbands idea... My daughter and I revolted and we kept him. He is a nice guy, just maybe not what we are looking for... Our Puget is like I said, just way more mellow, we love to hold him... He even sits in my 3 year olds lap for as long as her attention span will allow.

What is the layman's name for this snake? Thamnophis sirtalis ssp.

[Elliot]

Like easterns and maritimes and I think Oregon red spots and Florida blues and a some more I can't remember.

[infernalis]

Andria, you asked

We have several snakes that I would never subject to much "holding"
yet I would feel an extreme loss without them.

My Nerodia Sipedon (Water snake) is no "holder" by a long shot, I can feed him by holding a minnow by the tail, and he will take it from my hand.

He lives in a pretty hexagon on a stand, and I would miss him so much if he was not there.

Xena my #1 dekay gal, she will wrap around me, and will even throw a fit when I put her back in the tank, by wrapping around my hand. My Puget "Sky" is close.

The corn snake is so handsome, but he once tried to eat my finger, Our Pueblan has the prettiest colors, yet he goes nuts and musks all over whenever any attempt is made to "hold" him.

You obviously feel something for this snake, or there would be no internal struggle, it would be released by now.

So really, if you feel you may regret it later, it's only a one in a million that you would ever encounter that same animal again.

If you find it visually entertaining, whats a little groceries?? Heck, my kids get on my nerves more than any snake ever would, and I still feed them

[Snaky]

I never 'hold' my snakes. It's just not something I find fun, not do I think that it benefits the snakes. It's something personal. But if you know that, then all my snakes are 'display' snakes. It's fun to watch them, study their behavior, follow the shedding, birth, ...

So in my opinion, you really don't need a 'holding' snake, it's just as good to keep the snake for viewing. But if you yourself need it that you 'hold' the snake for it to become really interesting for you, then it's best to let it go.

Altough, I wonder how long ago it was that you catched it... Because letting a snake go after 1 year in captivity, I don't find that such a good idea.

[Stefan-A]

I don't think you're going to find a "holder" in this genus. Keep it as visual entertainment, it's the least stressful option for any snake in captivity.

[GartersRock]

Well... My two males vagrans and 1 of the females are holdable by passing through my hands. And my two other females will sit in my hands. And I only hold then for cleaning etc. =D They are WC adults. So not to sure about that statement.

[drache]

first of all, I don't think, getting a particular species guarantees any kind of personality
I have a very mellow vagrans and I have clear examples of two other species, where one is mellow and seems to be fine with handling and another that's so skittish, I don't handle unless I need to

the issue of letting a snake go, is a different one, and I'd have a hard time deciding too