Stefan's garters

[Stefan-A]

In your opinion which garter is the easiest to get in you part of the world? Which garter do you think one is being bred the most?

My own. I'm not even joking.

Last year, I saw someone selling radix babies. One other person besides me had bred garters that year and I bet the mating was accidental in their case.

This year, it's even better. I had apparently managed to produce the most babies for the market in the entire country. In fact, my babies comprised 100% of the babies for sale. Do you remember how many babies my garters produced this year? One.

And it gets better. Guess how many garters have been put up for sale total this year in this country, including the one I'm trying to sell now? Two. Guess how many of them were produced by me? Both. The other was one of last year's clutch.

So, last week somebody posted pictures of an infernalis pair on the only Finnish herp forum on the internet. The person had brought them over from Sweden. Well guess what, turns out they're infernalis x tetrataenia crosses. Two useless snakes. A bloody pair. Guess what will probably be on the market in a couple of years?

The situation here is truly pathetic. It almost makes me want to get the hell out of the hobby and just leave it to shrivel up and die.

[infernalis]

It almost makes me want to get the hell out of the hobby and just leave it to shrivel up and die.

Why deny yourself something that you obviously enjoy.....

[Stefan-A]

Why deny yourself something that you obviously enjoy.....

What I meant with "the hobby" was specifically keeping garters. The only enjoyment I get out of it, comes from actually keeping the snakes I currently have. I have no intentions of expanding my collection. In fact, I'm not sure any of them will be replaced by other garters when they eventually start dying off. Great little animals, but there's no future for the genus in this country.

One thing is damn sure, I'm not going to have them produce any more litters.

[Stefan-A]

One hide's as good as another.

[BUSHSNAKE]

nice pic but you said you use peat moss and leaf litter as substrate, what is that paper towels?

[Stefan-A]

nice pic but you said you use peat moss and leaf litter as substrate, what is that paper towels?

That is indeed paper towels.

I switch substrate almost every time I change it, because I'm looking for the ideal one. I always come back to using peat moss, though. Right now none of my snakes are on peat moss. I do have Coco Husk in one enclosure, newspaper in four and paper towels in two.

[BUSHSNAKE]

finding an ideal substrate for thamnophis is a pain in the ---, ive been experimenting myself, even thought of trying your peat leaf combo, but i always go back to Carefresh, its the best

[guidofatherof5]

finding an ideal substrate for thamnophis is a pain in the ---, ive been experimenting myself, even thought of trying your peat leaf combo, but i always go back to Carefresh, its the best

Have you ever tried compressed aspen pellets?

[ConcinusMan]

I still like my fir bark (reptibark) and coconut fiber mixture the best. I don't have that many tanks so the cost isn't all that prohibitive for me. I'm sure if I had lots of snakes and tanks, I'd probably go with something different.

As usual, great photo Stefan!

[guidofatherof5]

Very nice photo.
Is that your temp/humidity gauge hide?