Your opinion please.

[Charis]

Is there much difference between True Blue Striped garters (sirtalis similis) vs Puget Sound garters (sirtalis pickeringi)? Temperment, care requirements, things like that? Does pickeringi usually get more colorful? Witch of them in your opinion is the best? Thanks for any replies!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Okay, I will give you my personal experience and opinion.

Genetics-wise of course they are two very different snakes.

Temperment-wise they are even more different! All of the similis I have had the pleasure of working with have been extremely flippy. They FREAK every time you open the cage, when you hand them food they SCAT and smear it all over everything, they are very quick to get defensive and strike, and they do not tolerate being handled very well. I have a young adult male, had a female alst year that passed away, and now have 2 baby females as well as 3 pairs I am holding for someone else.

As for the pugets, totally the opposite. All my adult pugets and even the baby that was just born here are so calm. I open the cage and they smile at me and glide gracefully over to the door to see what I have brought them. I hand them food and they sit there like good snakes and eat it. Not to mention how non-picky they are! When I hold them, they are calm and collected. I can stick my hand into the puget cage and they will all climb up my arms and they are just so sweet!

Color-wise, if you get a really nice similis it will be just as blue as a nice puget. Both of them have specimens that are really blue, somewhat blue, and hardly blue at all, instead more of a pale blue-green.

[sschind]

As for the pugets, totally the opposite. All my adult pugets and even the baby that was just born here are so calm. I open the cage and they smile at me and glide gracefully over to the door to see what I have brought them. I hand them food and they sit there like good snakes and eat it. Not to mention how non-picky they are! When I hold them, they are calm and collected. I can stick my hand into the puget cage and they will all climb up my arms and they are just so sweet!

I wish that were true for me. I even open the drawer a bit and my pugets are rocketing over my shoulder musking on me as they go by. When I grab them to put them back the female starts biting like a... well, like a... a thing that bites a whole lot. Beautiful snakes and handling is not an issue for me but I just wish I could open the drawer to feed and clean without needing a shower and a trip to the first aid kit afterwords. The only thing that has me keeping them at all is the hope that they will mellow out as the get to be adults but I don't think that will happen.

[justme]

Hi everyone, I have two very young male pugets that I love so much (been with me for almost a month now). Mine are a bit skittish and can be quite fast, especially when removing them from their enclosure. After reading other posts here, I will definitely be purchasing a tank with front doors for their next "larger" enclosure so I no longer have to reach down and get them (which may make them feel threatened). As a first time owner (a newbie to the hobby of keeping garters), I am very happy with my pugets and would recommend them! They are simply cute as a button!

I have a question to ASnakelovinbabe and other puget owners... At what age or length do Blue phase pugets start to develop their blue coloration? My males are 10 to 11 inches long with a mint green (bluish tint). Is it safe to assume they will be this color (more greenish) as adults or is it still too early too tell?

1st pic below is of one of my males who is now plumper due to a good appetite and 2nd pic is their tank. Although difficult to see him because he is so small, you can spot one of the snakes resting on the leaf. ;-)

[snakeman]

My male is calm.but my female is flighty.My snakes did not turn blue until they were about adult size.

[guidofatherof5]

Nice to have you with the forum, Karen.
Great looking little scrubs you have there. The young ones are so much fun.

[justme]

Thanks for the welcome and input. I enjoy reading all the threads here (kind of a silent participator)! ;-)

[drache]

my only experience is with one lone similis, and she was one nervous snake

welcome to the forum Karen
lovely pugets