Fell In love with a backyard snake.. looking for advice!

[Ryachanira]

My husband and I found a garter snake on our driveway on Sunday. I took a bunch of pictures of him, used a metal rod to get him into the grass and didn't really think much of it. Then last night when I pulled into the garage and got out of my car, I looked back and there he was, sitting in my garage, looking dangerously close to my tire. Luckily it turns out that I did not run him over (I think I would have cried), so I picked him up with the rod again and this time moved him to the backyard. I kept going out to check on him and he barely ever moved. Since I apparently like flirting with danger, I decided it was a perfect idea to just pick him up. Turns out he is fairly calm - I read that garter snakes will usually 'musk' but he did not. Anyway, I left him outside all day and night and he never really moved much, and at this point I decide I am in love with him and brought him inside... I know he would have been fine in the cold, but I just felt so bad for him since it was only about 40 and windy. We are thinking about keeping him.

I don't really know a lot about snakes, even though I have always really liked them. Is it even a good idea to take him in, or would he be happier/better off in the wild? He is currently about a foot long and fairly thin, so I think that he might be young. Right now I am at work and he is at home in a really small cage with paper towels and carefresh; assuming we still plan to keep him by the time we leave work, we plan to go buy him a habitat setup, because I am sure he is hating the tiny cage. He still does not move much at all when he is in the cage, but he is more active when I hold him - although not trying to escape, just kind of wraps around my hands. He also occasionally opens his mouth up at me, is this an aggressive sign?

Anyway, I guess I am looking on advice on whether it is a good idea to keep him or not in the first place, and if so what he needs/what he should be fed/etc. I have done a LOT of online reading, looking at various websites and care sheets (including the one here), so I have a fairly good idea of the requirements, but I am simply looking for any extra advice you can give. We scheduled a vet appt in the morning for him, assuming that we decided tonight to keep him, just to make sure he is okay and get an idea on how old he is and such.


There he is, on Sunday when I was snapping pictures, with his mouth open. We named him Silv.

Thanks so much for your help!

[ConcinusMan]

Welcome!

It's possible that the snake is sick and/or dying. Laying out at 40 degrees and not moving much is not normal behavior. Opening the mouth can be respiratory problems and he's having trouble breathing. This time of year, healthy snakes are going underground and preparing to hibernate. (Brumate). This time of year it's not at all uncommon for sick or dying snakes to just stay on the surface to die, rather than going underground to brumate.

Hopefully this is not the case and maybe he'll recover and thrive with a little help. Let us know what the vet has to say.

[guidofatherof5]

Nice to have you on the forum.
Thanks for taking the time to be concerned for that little one.
Much of what you describe leads me to think your snake may be sick.
Richard brings up many good points about normal behavior.
Getting a Vet. visit scheduled is good if you are going to keep it.
At times I will find snakes in my yard after they should have been at their brumation sights. I've been able to keep them alive for as much as 2 years. The wild life is hard on them and I think they know when their time has come.
I wish you the best of luck with your little one. Please keep us posted on this situation.
Once again, thanks for taking the time to care.

P.S. I'd have brought it into the house also.

[mustang]

notice any white stuff or excess drool it would be stomatis (mouth rot) welcome i hope he makes it
WELCOME

[Ryachanira]

Thank you so much for all of your replies. I had read about the hibernation and had wondered if he should have been doing that about now. I have to say though, knowing he is sick is making me want to keep him even more - unless the vet says he is past all hope in which case I will let him die in peace out in the woods. But hopefully there is something I can do for him! I will let you know after the vet appointment in the morning.

I have not seen any white fluid from his mouth. He does have a bit of a rough/strange spot on his head - I had not noticed it on Sunday (when that picture was taken) but noticed it last night. Looks almost like the skin is coming off. But it is just a tiny spot. I thought perhaps he was shedding his skin, but again I have pretty much no knowledge of snakes so am not sure if that would even be happening right now... I can try to get a picture of that up later.

Any ideas on what the sickness might be and what I could do for him tonight before we get to the vet? I assume it would be best to get a tank set up for him tonight rather than leave him in the small box? I kind of hate to buy all of the items for the tank if there is a chance the vet could say he will not make it, but if it is best for him I am willing. I am totally attached to the little guy!

Thanks again for your help!

[mustang]

retained shed

[Selkielass]

He probably has a much better chance of surviving in your care than out in the wild, especially if you can get him to a good herp vet.

In the meantime keep him comfortably warm- I think around 80 degrees is about right for a sick snake, but garters usually like a temperature between 70 and 80 degrees. A desk, table or reflector lamp is a good temporary source.

If he has a retained shed, a soak in warm water may help- offer him a shallow dish of lukewarm water to drink or soak in.

Thanks for showing concern for him. Backyard garters can make wonderful pets.

[kibakiba]

Poor guy, I would have taken him in also. I wouldn't know much about what's wrong with him as far as being sick, but the rough spot does seem like a retained shed. I helped one of my little ones that had one by setting her in a Tupperware container with a warm damp washcloth. She happily stayed on it until I helped her get the stuck piece off.
I agree with Selkielass, backyard garters can make wonderful pets. I have 5 from my yard and they are the best snakes in the world.

[lauwersp]

Hi there...

I am by no means an expert among this great group of people, but I would pose this thought about setting up a tank. I have totally fallen in love with my two garters, and it sounds like you are quite taken as well. They have great personalities (which it sounds like you may not have seen yet considering the general lack of energy your snake has at the moment) and are very people friendly snakes comparatively.

If your snake does not make it, and we are all pulling for the opposite of course, you always have the option of seeking out another one, and a tank that's already setup gives you good incentive to do so.

I have had a lot of different pet across my life, and I love animals, but I've really found a special fondness for my garters.

So there you have it... I think I would commit to the tank and trimmings, and tell yourself that if something does happen to your little one, you're still gonna move forward with another garter.

Best of luck!

[guidofatherof5]

Hi there...

I am by no means an expert among this great group of people, but I would pose this thought about setting up a tank. I have totally fallen in love with my two garters, and it sounds like you are quite taken as well. They have great personalities (which it sounds like you may not have seen yet considering the general lack of energy your snake has at the moment) and are very people friendly snakes comparatively.

If your snake does not make it, and we are all pulling for the opposite of course, you always have the option of seeking out another one, and a tank that's already setup gives you good incentive to do so.

I have had a lot of different pet across my life, and I love animals, but I've really found a special fondness for my garters.

So there you have it... I think I would commit to the tank and trimmings, and tell yourself that if something does happen to your little one, you're still gonna move forward with another garter.

Best of luck!

Good advice. Especially for any Garter that needs up with you.

By taking the little scrub into your house you've infected everyone.
Don't worry, it's a good thing.
They are a special animal.