Housing

[bkhuff1s]

Just to make sure, can you house males together? Some other species gets very aggressive...

[jitami]

If they're similar in size, go for it Feed separately, tho. They don't get aggressive, but can have a misguided feeding response.

[infernalis]

I have one large tank with 2 male garters and 3 female dekays for almost 3 years no problems.

They all feed in my hands, so there is never any food accidents.

[Zephyr]

I have a tank full of male garters; I feed them in the enclosure, too. Just make sure you monitor everyone closely at feeding time and keep all their little mouths full.

[drache]

I like housing them in groups of three
that number works for me, where I can still feed them in their enclosure without too much stress

[infernalis]

Groups of 3 or 4 work best (for me), excluding the one tank with 5.

Neonates (Baby snakes) I cluster as many as 20 in a 10 gallon, but they are always moving, so the numbers go down in time.

[jitami]

Rhea, Kyle, and anyone else feeding groups in their enclosure, are you hand/tong feeding or are you putting food in the enclosure on a dish/dishes?

[Zephyr]

Rhea, Kyle, and anyone else feeding groups in their enclosure, are you hand/tong feeding or are you putting food in the enclosure on a dish/dishes?

Hand/tong feeding, but seeing as I'm trying to bulk everyone up for brumation, I've been putting feeder fish/worms in dishes for them as well.

[drache]

Rhea, Kyle, and anyone else feeding groups in their enclosure, are you hand/tong feeding or are you putting food in the enclosure on a dish/dishes?

tong feeding here
I have everything ready, including two tongs
it helps me to feel less stressed, if I can lure the snakes into different corners of the tank
usually I take out any decorations that obstruct my view
I just hate it when a snake I've just lured half-way across the tank, grabs the food and slithers backwards back into the hide, where her roomies are just starting to get excited about the smell
the tongs allow me the kind of distance that enables me to keep an eye on the entire tank and its inhabitants

[infernalis]

Since almost all of our snakes will eat while being held, I myself find it very entertaining to pick them up, feed them and then return them to the cage.