my 10 year old garter passed on

[boyjoe]

i'm new here but have had a great garter, Fuzzy, for the last 10 years this summer she stopped eating mice (she was feed exclusively mice for the last 7 years) and would only take 1 maybe 2 worms every 4-6 weeks, the vet said at that age there was little he could do. this morning i founder spread across her favorite climbing branch unmoving. very sad day.

[jitami]

So sorry for your loss. Sounds like you did everything you could for your girl, though. My first garter is about 8 years old. I know I'm going to be devastated when his time comes.

[drache]

so sorry that it's a loss that brings you here
welcome to the forum though
what kind of garter was she?

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, boyjoe

so sorry that it's a loss that brings you here
welcome to the forum though
what kind of garter was she?

[guidofatherof5]

Welcome to the forum.
It sounds like you and Fuzzy had some great history. Hope you can share some photos and maybe some stories. Looking forward to it.

[snakeman]

Probally just died of old age.They only live 10-15 years.

[guidofatherof5]

Probally just died of old age.They only live 10-15 years.

That seems like such a short time.
I heard a saying that seems to fits their lives,
"The candle that burns the brightest also burns the shortest"
I hope to get many of mine to that 15+ year mark. I've got a number of them here on the Ranch that are my good old friends. I've lost a few to old age but it was wild time not captive time.
That wild time is hard on them.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I am curious about how much is actually known about the lifespan of a very healthy garter... I have heard from multiple rather reliable people that they had, or currently have a garter live or living to almost 20 years. Many, many other snakes are able to live to at least 20 and closer to 30, I don't see why it would not be realistic for a very healthy, captive bred thamnophis fed a just-right, well balanced diet that does not contract some sort of illness or parasite!

Sorry to hear of your loss... I have 7 year old kingsnake who was my first pet snake and I love him to pieces, and even though he has MANY years left ahead, I don't like to think about how old he already is!

[Mommy2many]

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. Please share some stories & pictures. I have 2 W/C garters and have no idea of their age. I think all we can do is care for them the best we can and let nature and fate do the rest.

[Stefan-A]

I am curious about how much is actually known about the lifespan of a very healthy garter... I have heard from multiple rather reliable people that they had, or currently have a garter live or living to almost 20 years. Many, many other snakes are able to live to at least 20 and closer to 30, I don't see why it would not be realistic for a very healthy, captive bred thamnophis fed a just-right, well balanced diet that does not contract some sort of illness or parasite!

I'm willing to bet that a significant number of those 15+ garters are simply cases of owners-forgot-when-they-got-them.