Meet the gang!

[kibakiba]

Pugets are native to Washington and Redspots are native to Oregon. Richard has some pretty nice red spots.
I don't feed them in a separate tank unless there's a little frenzy going on. It also minimizes the risk of them swallowing their substrate, but I don't have a problem with that personally because of the small chunks I feed them with the hemostats.
I leave my basking lamps on for as long as I'm awake for. When I get up I turn off the night time lamps and turn on the basking lamps. When I go to bed I turn off the basking lamps and turn on the night time lamps. I use flukers nightglo lights for night time, only at 25 watts. It puts out a little bit of heat and doesn't have any visible light emitting from it. I've tried a few different types of night time lights and these seem to work the best at letting the snakes sleep and also not bug them at night. I find them sleeping under the area it's at if I wake up in the middle of the night or cant sleep.

[EasternGirl]

Now see...the stupid people at the pet store I go to told me that they don't make night lamps at a 25 wattage. (I'm not saying anything about people who work at pet stores in general, just the idiots I'm dealing with at this particular store). These people tell me a different thing everyday. First they told me not to use anything above 25 watts and that they would be getting some in, then when I went back they told me they don't make them in 25 watt. Of course, they also told me to feed Selena crickets...then they told me to get the crickets out of her cage because they might attack her! Where did you get your night bulb? I do have a 25 watt basking bulb...but my night bulb is 40 watts and I've been afraid to use it.

I put Selena's food on a little dish for her....cut up pinkies or worms...but she drags them to her hide...do you think I should be concerned that she will ingest the substrate?

I had no idea there were so many types of garters! They are all so beautiful...and very different. I especially like the blue ones.

Thanks for all of your help, Chantel!

[kibakiba]

If you have a Bridges Pets in your area, that's where I get my lamps. As long as Selena as a place to get out of the heat I'm sure a 40 watt bulb wouldn't hurt her.
I'd be a little worried about her getting some substrate in her mouth if the pieces are big enough to touch the substrate while shes dragging it. It also depends on the type you have. Aspen clings to food a lot more than carefresh or paper towels.
I also adore blue garter snakes, sky blue is my favorite colour.

[ConcinusMan]

Here you go. Range maps. T.s. concinnus is the Oregon Red Spotted Garter. (#1)T.s. pickeringii is the Puget Sound garter. (#2) Let me clarify that the blue one's I have are a mutation. They are not the normal form, whereas the blue Puget sound garters are considered normal.




This is what a typical oregon red spotted garter would look like. They aren't blue. In fact, most aren't red either. They're orange. Mine are only blue and without red(orange) because they are mutants. like albinos are mutants.



Oh, and pet store workers aren't the one's to talk to about reptiles or any other animals really. They are just cashiers for the most part. Not usually knowledgeable about the animals and their care.

Maybe you would like to read up on them. Here's some links:

Common Garter Snake - Caresheets

Red Spotted Garter Snake - Caresheets

Read this one thoroughly and forget about what the pet store tells you about their care: Garter Snake Care Sheet - Caresheets

[EasternGirl]

Thanks for all the help! Both of you! @ConcinnusMan... I thought that maybe this particular pet store had some knowledge because they have a guy who is a "reptile manager" who owns snakes. I soon learned that he doesn't really know anything...and many people do not know about garters. I am so glad I found this forum! I don't think Selena would have made it if it hadn't been for the help on here!

@Chantel...I have the aspen substrate. Maybe I should try to put her in another enclosure to feed her. Hopefully, it won't upset her to much. I don't want to change her bedding because she really seems to like burrowing in it. Do you know if there are any online stores in which to buy 25 watt night bulbs? Purple is my favorite color...but I don't think they have purple garters...lol.

[EasternGirl]

I'm still not sure if I am feeding her enough. I think she is looking for food. She ate half a worm day before yesterday, and a very small pinkie yesterday. Should I offer her more? How much and how often should I feed her?

I'm going to take a pic of her enclosure and post it later so that you guys can tell me if you think it looks adequate. I am so attached to this snake now...I worry that I am not giving her what she needs!

[ConcinusMan]

Pinkies are dense and nutritious, and usually take a couple of days to fully digest. Besides, snakes can go days or even weeks without eating and not suffer or lose weight, so don't worry yourself too much.

You can offer worms as often as you like but a pinkie or two goes a long way and and a garter that isn't a very small baby can easily get by on two feedings per week without the worms. Your snake is eating, and fairly often, so that's good. No need to worry too much. People often ask how much and how often they should feed their snakes but that really depends on what they are eating, their age, the temperature, etc. and snakes have great capacity for fasting and so a heavy bodied snake that doesn't eat for weeks is nothing to get overly concerned about.

To avoid swallowing of substrate, I tong feed and if the food item is big, I hold onto it until it's half swallowed before letting go. This cuts down on the food contacting the substrate. Tong feeding can be done with a pair of hemostats or a long pair of needlenose pliers or similar tool. Just hold the food in front of their face until they smell it and bite. After a while of doing that, the snakes will get used to your hand (and the tool) and come to think of them as a source of food. When my snakes see my hand, now they come rushing out toward it instead of shying away.

Here's a video where I am tong feeding baby T.s. concinnus' (oregon red spotted) Northwestern garters, and a plains garter or two.

[EasternGirl]

I tried offering Selena food on tweezers and she just got really freaked out. Today, I put her in a separate enclosure without substrate, and she ate her worms with no problem in there. I will try to feed her with tweezers or tongs again. I guess I will just offer her pinkies a couple of times a week, and offer her worms on the other days.

[ConcinusMan]

Keep trying. It takes time for them to get used to it. Now my snakes don't even hesitate. As soon as they hear the top slide open, they come out of hiding. They follow the tongs relentlessly. They know now that's where the food is.

Your feeding plan sounds perfect.

[kibakiba]

I don't know of any online stores that carry them, but I'll go ahead and search around for you, hopefully I can find something that you can use. If not, I'm sure Selena will be okay without it. Also, I use carefresh bedding, it's recycled news paper and my snakes burrow in it all the time. It's really easy to clean, and their little tunnels that they've dug stay there. It doesn't stick to food as easily as aspen does, and it falls off when it gets to their mouth.