This is a 1st for me... never a reptile.

[nomoreposs]

New to reptiles all together-- throwing that out first lol. So my mother was frightened when she saw a snake in her lawn about 2 months ago, called me outside, somehow I fell in love instantly, and now it's one of the family. Pretty sure she's a western terrestrial, I'm in Lakewood, Colorado, she looks just like the google pic search, has the 8 upper labials etc. And, I'm also assuming "she" because she looks more like the female on the sexing diagram, without the gap or bulge right after her pooper and before the tail. She's prob about 16 inches long.. kind of that Go Army olive color, so I named her Sergeant.

Anywhoo, so after Scales 'n Tales told me to keep feeding her crickets and PetSmart gave me deadly red wigglers, I've caught up quickly to what she really needs. And believe it or not, Sgt. did eat at least 3 out of the 6 crickets I first put in the cage when I saved* her 2 months ago... *yes saved, not holding her in captivity lol!

***But one thing I can't seem to get a clear answer on is HOW MUCH to feed her??

Some say once-few times a month, others say multiple times a week. So in the 1st month or so she only ate about 3 crickets, didn't care for a dead goldfish in water, thankfully did NOT eat the wigglers, just played with them lol, then turned down the next 2 batches of crickets. By then, it'd been over a month easy that I hadn't seen her eat and she seemed so skinny & flat like she was depleting mass, so I said screw Scales n Tales saying garters don't eat for a month easy, ran to Petco this time for some minnows---- BAM!! A bigger bowl this time with a live, flapping fish did the trick! She snatched it up first try and down it went! Then I felt awful for starving the poor thing, so she ate a total of 13 minnows/g-fish in the next 5 or 6 days. Then I read on here I'd be slowly killing her on an all fish diet without supplements so I got her the ReptoCal thiamine & calcium powder and some frozen pinkies. Only gave her 3 pinkies in about a week's time, but I don't know if that's too much either. I haven't fed her since monday or tuesday and she seems better. She went from super sweet when she was weak and hungry, to super spaz and territorial after I changed her diet to pinkies and re-did her cage. Sware she tried to snap at me after a fed her a pinkie half and has been super nervous in her cage for a week now, literally running like mad all around, up, and over everything in sight, but I put a glove in her cage thinking she should get used to the glove, then let me take her out again. Worked pretty well, just took her out for the first time yesterday since last weekend, pooped on me, wasn't as docile as before, but she's getting there. She also just shed, so I don't know if that was also part of her attitude..? I know I had a friend with a boa who was beyond nasty when it was shedding, broke thru a big laundry-size plastic tub, blood everywhere because of its S-PMS (Shedding PMS) lol:P

***So now I'm back to the question of HOW MUCH DO I FEED HER without overfeeding her or malnourishing her to death?? When I re-did her cage, I got terrarium sphagnum moss, some mopani wood, the bigger dish just for a pool now, somewhat separated the cage into 2 climates so she's comfortable: a more cool, shaded and wet sphagnum side; the other more warm, "sunny" and dry with aspen shavings (I do not feed her on), a heat mat and daylight above, with entire terrarium substrate Zoo Med Coconut fiber underneath (each side) that's more natural & soft, while it absorbs and breaks down Sergeant's waste. I want her to be as healthy and happy as possible so her life expectancy is on the higher end of the 3-10 yr range lol, so your help is greatly appreciated! ..Sorry such a looooong post!!

Thanks guys!
Lynn

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard.

You've got the species right and the subspecies would be wandering garter snake.

Finding the right amount can be tricky. I've used a couple of figures as guidelines: 10-20% of the snake's body weight in fish or 5-10% of the body weight in mice. The larger the snake, the smaller the meal should be in relation to the snake's body size.

[guidofatherof5]

Nice to have you on the forum, Lynn.

Here's a link to the forum care sheet:
Garter Snake Care Sheet - Caresheets

Plenty of things to explore will keep Sergeant busy. Her comfort with you will come on her time schedule.
Best of luck with your new friend.

[Mommy2many]

Welcome to the forum!

[infernalis]

[gregmonsta]

Greetings

[ssssnakeluvr]

welcoome to the forum!!! definitely a wandering garter, thamnophis elegans vagrans. did you see her eat the crickets?? they don't eat insects at all, are unable to digest them...the crickets may have been eaten by the other crickets.. you can try buying trout and chopping into small pieces. leave a nice pile on a lid or plate so no bedding gets in it. you can feed twice a week and she will do fine. if she is eating pinkies, keep feeding them, they are good nutritionally for them. wandering garters are known for eating rodents in the wild.

[RedSidedSPR]

Welcome. It's wandering garter. Yeah, the fish are the only thing mine will eat. But feed guppies, not minnows. Some minnows wont hurt, as long that's not all you feed him 'cause of the whole thiaminaise thing. I think pinkies are the best diet(and some worms), but my parents won't let me get them. I feed mine until he's full, and he dosn't eat that much, but that's just how I do it. Some snakes will eat more than they should, so...that may or may not work. Don't go by me, I'm about as new to this as you are

[reptile65]

Welcome! I'm also from Colorado and I have a wandering garter as well.

[zooplan]

Never tell never ever, but I agree with Don about the crikets!
It´s a tale based on a fake photo made by Bill Beatty
It was used in two books and crowds believed.
Never tell never ever and if you could post a movie af a cricket eating Garter Snake, you´ll win the unusual prey award, and keep it for a long time.
Wellcome aboard!