New red garter

[twostripes42]

So after the untimely death of my baby garter i was a little scared to get back into keeping them. but today when i was out looking for frogs and toads i saw a, IMO, very beautiful red garter snake (maybe a red "phase" eastern). Well i have her in a 10 gallon tank with eco-earth and terrarium moss. shes about 1 1/2 ft long. what should i feed a snake this size? how can i get her to eat f/t mice? is she a morph? and should i change anything? here are some pictures of her and her encloser.

[katach]

Very pretty!

[Scott F]

Very nice, what state do you live in ?

Scott

[thamneil]

Nice looking snake! Just a friendly reminder to make sure that the coconut fiber doesnt stay moist. Wet substrate can cause skin problems.
I wouldnt really call her a morph but a "phase" would probably be a more appropriate term. Lets wait until the more experienced herpers chime in on that one. Easterns exhibit much polymorphism and no two look alike. As for feeding, worms as well as thawed fish should do it for now. Just make sure the fish are considered "safe" (this is covered in our care sheet).You can wean her on to mice by slowly adding scented mice to her feedings.

-Neil

[guidofatherof5]

Nice looking snake! Just a friendly reminder to make sure that the coconut fiber doesnt stay moist. Wet substrate can cause skin problems.

-Neil

Good call Neil.

[chris-uk]

Nice snake you have there.
Have you buried some hides? I don't see any in the pics and I'd imagine she'll find it quite stressful coming from the wild to a tank where she has nowhere to hide.

[twostripes42]

thank you all, im in Saratoga springs NY. the coco is almost dry on top. there's a hide buried under that pile of moss on the right. i didnt think she was a morph thats why i said red "phase" but i dont care what she is shes beautiful thanks for all the help

[EasternGirl]

I would guess if you are in NY that you probably do have an eastern...it is the garter most likely to be found on the east coast. From the pics...she looks like an eastern...but it is hard for me to get a really good look at her...if you could get some close up pics of the side of her face and her body...I could tell you for sure. From what I can see of her head...she does look like a T.s.sirtalis to me...and easterns often have some red in between the scales. If she is a female...she would be young though..otherwise she is a he...adult female easterns are usually quite larger...around 3 feet long. For a snake that size...I would start with worms...if she is an eastern, that is what she will be used to eating in the wild. Make sure they are earthworms or nightcrawlers. 1-2 every 5 days. You can also feed 1-2 pinkies every 5 days...you may want to cut them up. Or, you can feed fish fillet...I feed mine tilapia and trout, and occasionally salmon...always fresh from the seafood counter...raw...cut up into pieces...the equivalent of a pinky or two worth of food every 5 days. If she won't eat the pinkies right away...you can sent the pinkies with the worms...but you might want to consider feeding her a varied diet of pinkies, worms, and fish...that is what I like to feed my snakes.

[twostripes42]

thank you I did my best to get a close up of her but i don't want to stress her out. im only calling her a "her" because i don't know what it is and her is just easier for me. i also gave her a larger tank which i will also post a picture of. thanks for the help and kind comments.

[kibakiba]

Face says male, but would need tail pics to be able to tell 100%