Please help me with my garter snake!

[RedSidedSPR]

Nice.

[amcutem]

Power went out when I got, otherwise, I would uploaded the pics a couple of hours ago.

So here are pictures of the snake and the habitat I made for her.. I don't know why I keep calling the snake her, but I really don't know what gender she is..

How do you tell?

Her habitat consist of soil that I shouldn't I put, with a bunch of pebbles, and tupper ware pond, and some fake leaves....Oh and a cardboard box for shed. I know she deserves better than that. When she eats, Im gonna make her a castle.

I really don't have a light and heat source yet, I need to wait a couple more days till payday, then Im gonna buy something for heat...

If you guys see anything wrong, please let me know.....

[amcutem]

more pics

[Didymus20X6]

How do you tell? Mainly by the shape of the tail, although size and body shape can also help in making the determination. To be absolutely sure, a cloaca probe by a reptile professional (to determine if there's a double-barrel shotgun in the holster, so to speak).

[kibakiba]

HE Looks like a nice male northwestern . With northwesterns, boys have small faces and big eyes and a slender body. Females are very bulky and large, they have boxy faces, while males tend to be a bit more rounded.

[katach]

a picture of the vent area would be helpful to tell if your snake is a boy or a girl. Here is a link that may help as well.
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/bree...xing-pics.html

[amcutem]

put the ribon snake in a safe container(like a big enough tuppleware box)
spray the bottom with water(try to find a container with ridges on the inside all along the edges and fill it like a little moute (but if you cant fing one just spre the bottom with a little water and make a small puddle on one end)
make sure you dont have a giant puddle, just a bunch of droplets and a small puddle,
OH or instead of a small pudddle you can put a big (big as in dimeter not height) lid and fill it with water, but still mist the bottom of the box a little, then waking sure air holes are in the lid (not to big or your snake will slither away and be a pain in the but to find) put the box on the shelf in a dark closet, put the worm(or two) halfway in the lids puddle, then put the snake in, close the lid, then close the door. it may take a while but the snake must feel safe before eating, check on him on a basis of 6-7 hour minimum time or once a day maximum time, re spray the box swap worms ect. the snake may have allready ingested food before being found so he may not eat for days or weeks. (or put fish in a little water bowl, make sure theres aenougfh water in it to kep them alive but not to much to where he cant hear splashing)

also try dangling the food above, and infront of the snake(wear a glove/sock if you fear getting bit) and see if it gets its attention, he may strike at it, or slowly come up and take it from you. but try the first plan to break him in for a while.
*no red wrigglers
*know how many of whatever food type you put in with him.
good luck

Ok, I tried it, but I felt really bad after so I checked on her after 15min, and then I felt even worst cause I could tell she was sad. I can tell she's upset because she pulls away when I grabed her. She stopped doing that cuz I've started playing with her....: But now, where back to square one...

Are you sure she'll be safe inside this little tupperware? I know she's gonna hate me after this.....

Am I just being paranoid that she won't eat...What are the chances that she's gonna commit captive suicide ? I really want her to be OK....

Im gonna leave her in the tupperware tonight and checke on her tomorrow morning... If she doesn't eat, should I just leave her there or should I put her back in the aquarium and try again later??

[RedSidedSPR]

I don't think you need to stress this to much. He/she looks around a year old. Shell be able to go without food for while, id just keep trying to feed her in the cage.

Also. The big pebbles aren't a good substrate. You need to use some kind if reptile substrate.

[snakehill]

She's so cute! I love the little spot on her head!!!

[amcutem]

I don't think you need to stress this to much. He/she looks around a year old. Shell be able to go without food for while, id just keep trying to feed her in the cage.

Also. The big pebbles aren't a good substrate. You need to use some kind if reptile substrate.

Ok.. Thanks...

This is the first time I've had a snake and the petstore employees sounded pretty confident when they told me that the snake will never eat because i found him in the wild...That really bothered me and made me real paranoid.

Everytime I hold him a look at him closely, and see how beautiful his colours are, I get real sad at the thought that it could starve it self to death..

But now I feel better because of you guys...

Thanks so much...

I tried to measure him, and he seemed to be around 17" long...He looks like he's only 12".

Is there a place where I can collect reptile substrate without going to the petstore??