new snake

[randyf1230]

Hello. I'm new to keeping snakes but my 13 year old son insists.

The garters are really becoming active in northern Illinois.

I was wondering if a recent wild caught 2ft. garter would have any problem sharing a 50 gallon home with a 6-7 in. Russian tortise.

Would one harm the other by disease?

They seem to avoid each other but do not behave agressively.

[adamanteus]

Hi Randy, and welcome to the forum. I am unsure, never having tried it, whether Garters and tortoises would co-exist in the same vivarium. I'm sure someone on the forum will give you a complete answer.

I would just say this, if the Garter is wild caught I would feel inclined to keep it quanantined from other reptiles until you can be sure it is healthy and free of parasites.

[Snaky]

It can go well, but this is not exact science. Sometimes reptiles feel threatened by the presence of others, this can give a lot of stress. Stress can weaken the reptiles and make it more vulnerable. But I also know a case where I believe Varanus Prasina is living together with a t.s.parietalis for quite some time already and they don't seem to bother each other. In my personal opinion, I wouldn't do it.

Certainly quarantine him first, like James said. If he's wild-caught he might carry parasites or diseases.

And a good welcome to the forum from Belgium, enjoy it here

[Stefan-A]

I don't know about the tortoises, but I've heard somebody theorize that red-eared sliders would be major carriers of cryptosporidium. Anyway, "slightly" off topic. :/

[adamanteus]

I never mix species in my vivaria, let alone genera. I have no specific reasons for this...I just don't. Also would it not be true that a Russian Tortoise and a North American Garter Snake have rather different environmental requirements?

[abcat1993]

I would assume if it's a big enough enclosure it could be done, but they might get along pretty good, habitat-wise.

[adamanteus]

They might get along pretty good, habitat-wise.

Do you think so? I must admit, I'm not familiar with the needs of Russian Tortoises!

[Thamnophis]

I would not do that. There is a serious chance the horsfieldii will start gnawing the snake.
Next to that there is always a possibility that the tortoise makes the snake sick. They sometimes seem to have bacteria and so that do not make the tortoise sick, but other reptiles do get sick of it.
In the reptilezoo where I work we keep turtles/tortoises stricktly seperated from the other animals.

[Cazador]

I'd certainly defer to Thamnophis' (Fons') advice. He knows a variety of reptiles rather well, but I think the main concerns have also been covered: parasites from the snake, and the danger of omnivory from the turtle.

Rick

[Odie]

Hi Randy, how is it going mon ;-)