breeding qs i have a common garter snake

[guidofatherof5]

However, I think it is your first time to keep a garter snake, it would be better to get adults from a breeder since they are much easier to keep and take care of than babies (as shannon said). That will give you a good way to learn more about their habits and feeding methods. Then you can go for the babies and try to keep them alive.

Any way, with any method you start with I wish you luck, and in all cases welcome to the garter world

This is good advice. You don't want a baby or babies as your first garter. Get a snake that is well established( eating, being handled). Find a breeder. There are many on the forum. Give us your area and we'll see what we can do.

My best advice is to wait. Stay active on the forum and learn. This way your new(first) snake won't be so new to you. There are many threads here that will give you a good idea of what you need to do to take care of your special snake.

[Stefan-A]

Although I totally agree with all the previously written posts suggesting to buy the snake from a breeder, I suggest if you insist on getting them from the wild to wait till August or even September to try to catch the snake. During that period, it will be much easier for you to identify the pregnant snake from others, where it will be bigger and thicker that all the rest. Keep it for a month or two and you can get the babies.

Otherwise good advice, but that last part is a bad idea. Gravid females should be left alone.

[wadih]

Otherwise good advice, but that last part is a bad idea. Gravid females should be left alone.

I totally agree with you stefan, that is why I started the whole sentence with "if he still insist". In all cases, thinking about again, I think if he still wants to catch some snakes and insist on that. He can try catching and keeping them for some while, if they breed it will be fine if not it will be great opportunity for him to have idea and learn about garter ways of living.

By the way, I never tried it before, but do you think it is easy just to run behind a snake and catch it in the wild? I am not sure about it... Even how can you tell if it is a garter from a distance (especially if one is not so experienced) and even if you can I think it is impossible to tell if it a male or female before catching it. Anyway, I am not expert enough to tell about this part since I never tried and will never do in the near future, but I am sure other friends in the forum have tried and can share with us their experience.

[Stefan-A]

By the way, I never tried it before, but do you think it is easy just to run behind a snake and catch it in the wild?

Depends on the snake, I suppose. I've seen the full range of responses, from dashing for shelter, to defensive displays, to no reaction at all. Obviously they're easier to catch when they don't try to escape.