Haz'z garters

[ConcinusMan]

That's what others have said.
I've never seen it in my radix population. They seem to breed within days of coming out of brumation. No shed required.

Different species will behave differently. I haven't seen any breeding behavior in my concinnus' straight out of brumation. After a few days out, they just want to eat a lot. The breeding seems to come a while later, especially after the female sheds. Judging from when the wild ones have their babies, they're doing the same thing in the wild, breeding about a month after they emerge. The northwesterns come out in huge masses and start breeding right away.

[HazAnga]

Well yesterday she was just finishing up her blue stage of shedding. Do once Helga sheds I should have babies really soon

[guidofatherof5]

Looking forward to seeing some photos of your new little scrubs.
Keep us posted.

[HazAnga]

I will definitely do that. Major just shed today, and now I'm hoping to git him to eat something. I can't wait for the new scrubs

[HazAnga]

ok well i got some good news for a couple of reasons. first off... well i starved Major for like a month and a half and he readily enough ate a scented fuzzie. He's been stuck on worms for a while and i finally got him to eat the fuzzie.
And second... well Helga, i first thought that when she last shed that it was her pre birth shed. well I was wrong, she's just in blue now for her proper pre birth shed, and then shortly after that she should give birth to some healthy scrubs. She looks very nice and plump, and she's soaking up the heat. I'm getting very excited and I can't wait to see the scrubs.

[ConcinusMan]

I'm not terribly familiar with what you guys keep calling "pre birth shed" and I still can't figure out why everyone seems to expect the babies to come just because their gravid female sheds in the late stages. They shed when they get too big for their current skin. That can happen any time.

For example, my big bertha shed, then immediately mated. She started getting fat right away and so she got too big for her skin and shed only a month later when she normally only sheds about 2 or 3 times a year. I'm just saying I've never seen any evidence that shedding in late stages coincides with time of birth. It can happen at any time during the pregnancy. If they happen to give birth right after shedding, it's pure coincidence IMO.

I am wishing you a healthy litter for sure. I am short one male albino (or het) maricanus.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I'm not terribly familiar with what you guys keep calling "pre birth shed" and I still can't figure out why everyone seems to expect the babies to come just because their gravid female sheds in the late stages. They shed when they get too big for their current skin. That can happen any time.

For example, my big bertha shed, then immediately mated. She started getting fat right away and so she got too big for her skin and shed only a month later when she normally only sheds about 2 or 3 times a year. I'm just saying I've never seen any evidence that shedding in late stages coincides with time of birth. It can happen at any time during the pregnancy. If they happen to give birth right after shedding, it's pure coincidence IMO.

I am wishing you a healthy litter for sure. I am short one male albino (or het) maricanus.

It does. Female garter snakes usually ALWAYS shed right before they drop their babies. It's not because they are too big for their skin, it's hormonal. I have always been able to time expecting babies based on the pre-birth shed. When your female is really big, and she goes into shed you know she is getting close, once she sheds, you can expect babies within 2 weeks. I have never had a gravid female that did not have a shed right before giving birth.

It looks to me like Major is the source of the pastels you are seeing popping up.

[Stefan-A]

It does. Female garter snakes usually ALWAYS shed right before they drop their babies.

My sample size is very small, but so far none of my female garters have shed less than a month before giving birth.

[ConcinusMan]

Weird. I've never had that happen. It's always about 2-3 weeks in, then a little while after having babies.

[Spankenstyne]

My checkereds also have had babies in about 2 weeks from the pre-birthing shed. Perhaps concinnus are different?