Meet the gang!

[guidofatherof5]

He squirted musk and poop in my face, too. I think that's when you know he's *really* upset. Luckily it's almost oover and hopefully I won't get a poop mask again.

It looks like the final initiation is done.

He loves you.

[EasternGirl]

Chantel...I love reading your posts! It is a journal of the lives of snakes. How many do you have?

Selena was having trouble getting her shed off last night and it was freaking her out. She didn't like it...but I picked her up and dropped her in her water dish. Right after that, the rest came off...and she seemed very happy. She was all playful like.."I'm free! I'm free!"...lol.

I really want to get another garter but I don't know if you can buy them anywhere. Does anyone know? Otherwise, I guess I will just have to wait until the Spring...I will get babies in my basement.

[ConcinusMan]

They're right under your nose. Check the forum For sale/adoption/wanted section (I have a couple available) or...

Home Page

Scott Felzer's Garter Snakes, specializing in aberrant garters

With the cold weather in much of the country there's not much shipping going on. I have snakes waiting to ship out, and snakes waiting to ship to me but it's just too cold to chance it right now. Receiving snakesicles just isn't as much fun as getting live snakes. I hate winter!

BTW Don, why don't you edit your site so it says something besides "home page"

[EasternGirl]

Thanks...yeah, I was wondering how I would get one shipped to me in the cold. I really don't want any snakesicles!

[ConcinusMan]

In the summer heat and overnight shipping, I've used styrofoam insulated boxes with a instant cold pack wrapped in newspaper. They get a bit cold at first but when you open the box, even after being in the heat, it's cool inside even 24 hours later. However, it's better to be too cool than cooked. I've shipped in extreme heat without a problem, it's all in how you pack them. The cold packs work by absorbing heat and so, they don't get too cold, and if insulated from the heat, they last the entire trip. How long the pack lasts depends on how much heat it must absorb.

Thing is, in the winter, sometimes there's transit delays due to snow and ice, and that can kill them if they're stuck somewhere below freezing. You can put a warm gel pack in the insultated box with them, but you can't make it too hot. They work the opposite of cold packs. Heat is constantly escaping a warm pack and so, it doesn't last long. And like I said, if there's a delay... disaster.

Still, if you have the money, you could buy now before that desired snake is spoken for, and just wait until it's safe to ship. Also, some breeders use shipping methods that are quite expensive, but safe delivery is ensured (and insured) in almost any weather.

[EasternGirl]

I think I'll wait til spring and see if there are any in my basement that need a rescue...if not, I can buy one then. I would love to have one of those blue ones...not sure what the name is...they are beautiful!

[kibakiba]

Hey Marnie. I have 7 garters. 5 northwesterns and 2 red spots. They've really grown on me and if I had the money, space and time I'd have a lot more. When you have more than one in a tank and you watch them for a while they may start doing silly things. I've watched my snakes while working on some art and my baby northwestern, Tiny, was very determined to climb up a stick in there... She'd make it about half way, then slide right off. She tried about 10 times and when she actually got to the top, she fell into the water dish and hid. It makes me laugh every time she does that. The other snakes have better balance and know to hang on to the branch, she doesn't. My mom calls her the special ed snake... It kind of fits her, but I wouldn't have her any other way.

[ConcinusMan]

There's more than one species/morph of garter snake that can be called "blue". Do you mean my blue anerythristic oregon red spotted garters like my avatar, or do you mean a puget sound garter? (They are both very similar anyway, both are subspecies of T. sirtalis)

Puget:


Blue anery red spot:

[EasternGirl]

Yeah...Selena does some pretty funny things. She gets all geared up for her great escape....she'll lift her whole body up like she is standing, and tries to get up under the ledge to the lid of her enclosure...but then she will fall over like a tower toppling over sideways...it is hysterical. She also makes the cutest little burrows all over her substrate. We have burrows like that all over our yard...our yard has tons of garters. Selena was trapped in a spider web in our basement...that is how she came to be my pet. I am hoping to get some more babies in our basement in the spring and then maybe Selena will have some friends.

I just think garters are the cutest things...with their little heads and faces!

I should be feeding her in a separate tank? (I just read that). Oops...I'm not sure how she will handle that....she just started eating without being scared. She gets pretty freaked out when I put her in another tank to clean the one she is in.

I think she is a very gentle snake. She has never bit me or tried to bite me. She lets me pet her to wake her up....she is still afraid when I try to hold her...but she has never once been aggressive toward me.

How long do you leave light on for your snakes? Do you have night lamps for them?

[EasternGirl]

@ConcinnusMan...

Wow...they are all beautiful! The blue ones...to what area are they native? Both are gorgeous!