The first 4 weeks of garter keeping

[chris-uk]

We've been the happy owners of gater snakes for 4 weeks now, so I thought it would be good to post my experience so far in case it's useful to any other new garter owners. It's a long one. We've learnt a lot.

Starting with ONE snake (Binky, our albino checkered) as a spur of the moment purchase isn't ideal, it certainly wasn't planned and I wouldn't advise it. I was happy to do it because I knew that between me and Char we'd have done a lot of research by the end of the day, and if we needed any equipment other than the vivarium start kit I'd go out and get it that afternoon. If I was doing it again I'd have the viv setup and running a day before adding a snake.

Vivarium "starter kits" - I don't think I'd buy the same viv (One of these (not from Amazon though) Komodo Snake Starter Kit 16x12x14 inch: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home) again. Pros are that there is everything they think you need for a snake to survive, but not everything I think I need. I quickly aquired: larger water bowl, second hide, digital thermometers (the mechanical dial ones that come with the kit just aren't accurate enough for my liking), a Habistat variable thermostat (so we can vary the night temp), and an aquarium log as decoration. Good stuff in there - the snakes like the coconut hides, the aspen substrate is good and they love burrowing in it.

We learned that Binky won't necessarily eat for a few days, which is nothing to worry about. And that she'll hide for most of the first few days.
Handling is best left for her to settle in, then introduce her to your hand gradually over days. Binky is now happy to come out and when Char takes her out of the viv she'll explore for a while before wrapping herself around Char's thumb and "sleeping" for an hour.

We found this forum on the first day of keeping Binky. It's been an outstanding source of information, and we would have made mistakes without it.
Lesson learned - Find people who know more than you, and are willing to share their experience.

We found that you could convert other normal people into garter people, and had friends asking if we could find them a garter. John was kind enough to oblige.

Two weeks in we acquired another 2... no... 3... no... 4. Yes, definitely 4 normal checkered garters. Thanks John.
Lesson learned - Some garter keepers are really kind and want to share the enjoyment from this species. Also learned, that you should stick to your guns and not let the wife talk you into "one more because she's got really pretty markings". Also, snake meets in the UK often don't involve any garters.

Having more than one snake you learn quicker. And accumulate more stuff... another hide, some more moss, an even bigger water bowl, a Lucky Reptile digital thermostat (with day and night program so I don't have to twist a knob to vary the temp), some fake plants for them to hide in and climb.
Lessons learned - garters enjoy the occassional climb, but they aren't always good at hanging on.

We had our first shed (which we now know was Binky) which was cleanly done and just laying in the viv one the morning. We had a second shed (which was one of the bigger normals).
The third shed wasn't happening easily. I could see loose threads of skin that weren't coming away. Several hours in a shed box didn't help Bethan, and she was refusing food as well. It wasn't until almost a week later that she did start shedding, and it wasn't clean, it was coming away in small patches so I assisted her in a bowl of warm water. Half an hour later and we have a cleanly shed snake. She started eating 4 days later.
Lesson learned from the bad shed - get a humidity meter to check the humidity is right, put some rough rocks in the viv to help with the next shed.

We found that pinky seems to the favourite food, with salmon in second place, and hake last. None of ours have touched earthworms or slugs - so I'm not going to go looking in the garden again when there's a shop in town that sells forzen pinkies at 10 for £2.50.

We still have one baby from the same litter who is still not eating. We keep trying, and she is in with Bethan who is eating so I hope she learns. Having said that, Angua is now half the length and probably 25% the weight of her biggest sister. We've prepared ourself for the fact that she may fail to thrive.

We've learnt that garters will escape from the most improbable routes. Angua, the little non-eater and most inquisitive of all of them, was able to squeeze through the tiny hole that the thermometer wires came through. She was AWOL for over 48 hours, before we learned that our cat is good at spotting snakes and thinks they are a toy - I scared him away before any damage was done, but we have to give him credit for finding Angua. Angua evaded capture for a little longer - by falling from our first floor landing to the ground floor. She appears to be fine after her adventure, but is still not eating.

So in 4 weeks:
1 albino checkered.
2 vivariums.
3 different thermometers.
4 shedded snakes.
5 checkered garters (including 1 albino)
And a partridge in a pear tree.

I hope there's something useful in amongst my disordered meanderings.

[guidofatherof5]

Great read. Thanks for posting it.
Looking forward to chapter #2.

[RedSidedSPR]

Nicely done.

[chris-uk]

Chapter 2? Sounding something like... "Well 6 months ago we had 5 garters, now we have 50"? :-)

[PINJOHN]

a good read Chris very much enjoyed it, only just found this post as i tend to dip in and out as dictated by what time i have available, some time more sometimes less i know you will keep us all updated and look forward to it

[Char361979]

I only just found this, and had no idea he had done it. I would like to add that I'm continuing to try and con Chris into letting me buy the one little checkered garter at coventry aquatics. He's all on his lonesome surrounded by tub upon tub of corns and kings but the big meany won't let me....

[snakehill]

Big Meany!! I have a big meany that doesn't want me to get another horse!

[Char361979]

It's just not fair!!! Meanies suck! You should see the little fella at the pet shop. He has the cutest little face!

[guidofatherof5]

I bet if that snake just suddenly shouwed up at your place Chris wouldn't be too upset.
Poor lonely little snake sitting there, alone and only wanting a family of it's own.
When the lights go out it returns to its hide and dreams of the day some kind person will come in and rescue it.
Day after day it waits.
When will the madness end.

[chris-uk]

I bet if that snake just suddenly shouwed up at your place Chris wouldn't be too upset.
Poor lonely little snake sitting there, alone and only wanting a family of it's own.
When the lights go out it returns to its hide and dreams of the day some kind person will come in and rescue it.
Day after day it waits.
When will the madness end.

Unfortunately Char doesn't drive and the shop is further away than she is willing to walk. Maybe if it's still there when we get the next batch of fish (we picked up a Siamese Fighting Fish from the shop on Sunday - beautiful fish, but there's a different thread for other pets).

And Steve, you make me feel guilty now. In the shop they have water bowls, nice substrate, but they are in pretty small boxes and I don't remember seeing a hide in there...