Personality wise, what's your favorite breed?

[ConcinusMan]

I wanted to hear from people who have or had a wide variety of garter species and ask you which one you liked best as far as having a great, loveable personality.

I've only had perhaps 4 or 5 different species, and only one type of sirtalis (concinnus). I can tell you they definitely seem to have different personalities as individuals, but generally speaking, each species has it's own personality characteristics. I like sirtalis the best out of the different species I've had but there's many more from different parts of the U.S. that I have never had. So I wanted to ask, what's your favorite garter, pet wise, personality wise.

[guidofatherof5]

Well, for me I would have to say................radix. Yes, radix
I know I don't really qualify as someone who has kept a lot of different ones but I had to get a plug in there for my kids. I'm keeping 3 different garters at this time, hoping that will change as time goes by.

[ConcinusMan]

I almost put in my post, "I already know what steve's going to say". LoL. I'm sure that radix's are a fine bunch of fellows. I feel like I already know them by reading your posts. I can also see the "intelligence" in their eyes. I had considered hitting you up for a pair but I think I'll wait 'till spring and see what I can't come up with in my area. I don't want to get too carried away and end up with too darn many snakes, right steve? Oh jeez, look who I'm asking. It's an inevetible conclusion that I'm going to get a pair of concinnus and maybe a pair of ordinoides. I've already begun preparing and snagged up a 10 gal and 2 20 gal slide-lock top tanks off of craigslist. I can't wait for spring so I can share with you guys what I find.

Anyone else want to chime in?

[gregmonsta]

Depends really ... I see all my snakes as individuals ... from my experiences I might just give it to parietalis ... very bold and inquisitive from my experiences

[drache]

my two top favourite snakes personality wise are a t.s. sirtalis and a t.s parietalis
my two most unpleasant biter/musker types are also a t.s. sirtalis and a t.s. parietalis
florida blues are supposed to be unpleasant, but the one I've got is among my favourites, along with all the pallidulus I've ever owned
I've also got concinnus, fitchi, marcianus, vagrans and radix - they're all nice with rare exceptions

[ssssnakeluvr]

I've rarely found a mean vagrans, never found a mean ordinoides (haven't had a large number of them yet...). one of my concinnus is a mean beast! I have a fitchi that is very nice, but musks like crazy!!!!! he is a large w/c male. haven't really found any mean fitchi...just love to musk.

[ConcinusMan]

So it looks like various ssp. of sirtalis are still the winner so far.

[guidofatherof5]

Did I mention I like T.radixes

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Honestly, with as many garters I have worked with, i would say it's actually easier to pick out the ones that DON'T have nice personalities when compared to all the more complacent ones. It's always an individual basis, but overall, I would split them into two categories:

Nice personalities: ( no particular order)

- easterns
- checkereds
- plains (these have the BEST personality in my opinion, extremely personable)
- redsideds
- oregon red spots
- puget sound
- wanderings


not-so nice:

- california redsideds
- blacknecks
- bluestripes
- ribbon snakes

[snakeman]

Honestly, with as many garters I have worked with, i would say it's actually easier to pick out the ones that DON'T have nice personalities when compared to all the more complacent ones. It's always an individual basis, but overall, I would split them into two categories:

Nice personalities: ( no particular order)

- easterns
- checkereds
- plains (these have the BEST personality in my opinion, extremely personable)
- redsideds
- oregon red spots
- puget sound
- wanderings


not-so nice:

- california redsideds
- blacknecks
- bluestripes
- ribbon snakes

I agree other than the Blacknecks.I have had five and all were pleasant.