Going away for a week.

[katach]

So Tango, my ordinoides is gravid and has recently shed. I'm going out of town for a week. Starting tomorrow morning. This is what I've done. I have a rock in the water dish, fresh paper, a low heat lamp (it's going to be in the 80s this coming week), and a large chunk of sphagnum moss generously sprayed with a water bottle. My mom will be dropping by a couple times during the week to check on things too. Should i be doing anything else?

[d_virginiana]

Only thing I can think of, is maybe get a shallow dish (I use the top half of one of those shipping containers, or a butter dish or something) and fill it with water, then put the moss in. Maybe place something like a half-flower pot over the moss. When I have sphagnum in a regular terrarium, it always dries out super fast if I don't do anything to it. That way, any babies would easily be able to crawl out of the dish, but the moss would have a larger reservoir of water, and wouldn't evaporate as quickly.

[chris-uk]

I keep my moss in old food containers, various sizes depending on the size of the snakes in the viv. Anything from a 250g Philidelphia tub, all the way up to 1.5 litre ice cream tubs, with holes cut for access. The moss stays moist for a week easily.

Will the babies be staying with Tango when they are born? If they are going in another tank is that setup so your mum can transfer them in if they arrive in the next week?

[katach]

Mom isn't comfortable messing with them unless she has to. Its not that she doesn't like them, but she doesn't want too much responsibility for them. They should be ok in with Tango until i return, right?

[chris-uk]

Mom isn't comfortable messing with them unless she has to. Its not that she doesn't like them, but she doesn't want too much responsibility for them. They should be ok in with Tango until i return, right?

I'm sure they'll be OK. Enjoy your trip and don't worry about the garters, they've been giving birth for millions of years.

[katach]

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So I've put the moss in a food storage container with a bit of water in the bottom. The water dish has a rock in the middle for easy getting out.

[guidofatherof5]

Yeah, one more thing. Enjoy your trip.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

I just got back from vacation Saturday and had a litter of 35 baby Chicago garters waiting for me all seem to be very healthy! I wouldn't stress it too much as long as they are born strong and healthy you shouldn't have nothing to worry about! If some were to die it would be weaker babies that probably wouldn't make it anyway so it wouldn't be nothing you done wrong! I hope you have a safe trip!

So Tango, my ordinoides is gravid and has recently shed. I'm going out of town for a week. Starting tomorrow morning. This is what I've done. I have a rock in the water dish, fresh paper, a low heat lamp (it's going to be in the 80s this coming week), and a large chunk of sphagnum moss generously sprayed with a water bottle. My mom will be dropping by a couple times during the week to check on things too. Should i be doing anything else?

[katach]

Thanks all!

[EasternGirl]

What they said...lol. It probably wouldn't be the best idea for your mom, who doesn't have experience handling snakes, to try to move squiggling little babies anyway. Those suckers jump right out of your hands! Have a great trip!