I love my Eastern, my Checkered is fun to feed, and the sweet, curious and amazingly colored snakes I met while visiting Steve really blew me away, but the Butlers garters I've found along the ditches and tracks in my neighborhood have really won me over.

They are a very active snake- out exploring and sunning first thing every morning and not at all afraid to remain out and watching curiously when people are moving about the room. Often the seem to want to be taken out to see what is going on- mature females seldom flee into vegetation and hides when approached. When held, they hold on to fingers and wrists with a nearly prehensile grip- no worries about a child dropping a Butler- they hold on to fingers with their tail until disengaged. Most I've encountered are pretty eager eaters too, so long as worms are on offer.