Great To Be Here!

[Virginia_In_Utah]

Hello, Everybody!!!

Thanks to ssssnakeluver (another Utahn) for telling me about this site! Wow! lots of garter fans out there! I am sure I will learn a lot!

I found a wandering garter snake in my window well and kept it in a 10 gallon tank for about a week, but let it go because it hadn't eaten. I tried pinkies/a snail/a slug/a few live guppy babies in the water/pieces of trout and a few other things, but it wanted its freedom back, so out it went.

The real story is that my very sick cat was mesmerized by the snake and would spend hours watching it (never trying to attack it), even falling asleep by the tank. My loudly-whining old arthritic cat did much the same. Well, anything that the gravely-ill cat wants, she will get and the snake show kept my other cat from whining at my mother which kept her happy which makes me happy, so the long and short of it is that I needed a replacement snake.

Pet stores here don't sell garters (as ssssnakeluver can tell you), so I went on-line and found kingsnake.com and bought some captive bred 100% anerythristics from Jeff Benfer in Iowa (his snakes must be good luck--his house did not get hit by the floods) I liked the look of the red-sided garters and thought that I should have something a little colorful if I am going to be a snake guardian. I wanted these specifically because they were eating, would be parasite-free as CBB and would not go off food as a result of captivity. They do not seem at all bothered by the presence of the cats and are out and about as the cats stare at them, transfixed. I ultimately found the snake forums on kingsnake.com and ssssnakeluver told me about this site and here I am and I am really glad to be here! I want to learn as much as I can so I do right by my little guys.

They are 3 to a 10-gallon tank (3 tanks total, 3 females, 6 males total) and I have each tank set up with a container of aspen shavings and a plastic shoe box with water so they can swim if they want to. I wanted to keep the bottom clear so that when I put in the pinky parts, the snakes will not pick up any aspen shavings and choke or get an obstruction. So far, everyone has had a meal (I got them 6 days ago), and they all seem to be doing well. The tank tops have secure locking heavy-duty screen lids and they have under-tank heat pads, but it is really hot here right now (room reaching low 80's in the afternoon) so I have not turned the pads on yet.

OK, here's the REALLY STUPID thing: since my cats were so taken with these snakes, I though I would get some nocturnal ones, as well, so now I also have 3 Pueblan milksnakes. (I went from 0 to 12 snakes in 3 days). Does anyone have any milksnake forums they can also recommend?????

Thanks for having me here! Virginia

[adamanteus]

Hi Virginia, and welcome to the forum.
That's quite an introduction! It won't be long until people are asking to see photos of your new snakes, so here's how..

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/site...-pictures.html

And here's some basic information you might find useful, to get you started....

http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets...ake_Care_Sheet

[Zephyr]

*Applauds.* Sheer brilliance I say! Welcome! :P

[beaniesmommy]

Welcome, you will love this forum! They will help you with everything you need. I have learned that there is a huge number of people who own other types of snakes and garters. Someone here can always (from my experience) answer your questions.

[ssssnakeluvr]

welcome to the forum!!!!!! garters in general take a week or 2 to acclimate to captivity...an adult can actually go a couple months without food with no ill effects! where in Utah do you live??? I'm out in Magna!

[anji1971]

Hello, and welcome!
12 snakes in 3 days is quite impressive!!
You'll have no trouble finding all the help you need right here, even with the milksnakes!

[jitami]

Welcome Virginia! I'm still awe struck over you going from 0 to 12 in 3 days! Good luck with all of your new babies... and yeah.... we're going to want pictures

[reptileparadise]

Great to have you here!

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard, Virginia.

[Snake lover 3-25]

wow it took me 2 yrs to get 3!!!!!! WELCOME!!!!! pics PLEASE!!!!