Another Washingtonian

[Lisa4john]

Well, I've been looking about a little and thought I'd come in here and introduce myself proper like. I'm Lisa. I married a military man so we have been in several places around the world, but for now we are in the Puget Sound of Washington. (Well OK, only Guam outside of the US, but it feels like we've moved around plenty enough.)

Honestly, I have always NOT liked snakes, until recently, still don't like, won't have other species of snakes, too big, no constrictors, or poisonous, simply too intimidating for me. I hadn't really seen/interacted with garters though until recently. I never knew there were so many different looks, colors, even sizes. I like the blues best, (It is my favorite color after all) I also like the simple black with yellow stripes, and the red spotted, and other reds (red being my second favorite color ). Actually it was one of the black and yellows that won me over. My son was caring for one he caught for a few weeks, and she (I think, not sure tho) was so tame, calm and sweet natured, but we couldn't get her to eat, so we released her again. I like that they are small. She was about 18 inches long and I'd be happy if mine stayed that way, well OK, up to 24 inches to 30 inches, I'm sure as they grow you get used to their size slowly so they probably don't seem that big to you by the time they get there. I've read over and over that the males are smaller than the females, so that's what we are looking to get. I also like the variety in food. Feeding rodents was a real turn off for me with snakes. I kept pet rodents, I find them cute, I just couldn't do it, especially live ones... not for me. At least there are other options with these guys. I'm not looking at getting a ton, but I've opened up to the idea of getting one male... for my son of course, MAYBE 2, so he doesn't get too lonely. If only my husband was as excited about it as my son and I... It's a really good thing that he loves me.

Btw, are all garter snake's temperament as calm, tame, sweet and handle-able as this one we had? I mean, is that the exception or the rule with them? From day 1 we were able to hold and handle her with not problems. She just wrapped around our fingers or wrist and hung out. Amazing. Also, which species are the smaller, I've read that the checkers and FL blues get bigger (sorry, not up on their scientific names too well yet)? How long does it take for say, a Red Spotted to get full size? Thanks, and it's great I found this place now. You have taught me so much, and I'm sure our snake will thank you when we are able to get him too.

[guidofatherof5]

There can be feisty ones from time to time.

[Lisa4john]

Well, hopefully the one(s) we finally get will be like the one we had, I wish she would have eaten...

[guidofatherof5]

How long did you have her and what did you try to feed her?

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard.

[Lisa4john]

He got her about the 8th of Aug and we released her again about the 25th. I didn't find this thread until after that and then I was sorry I gave up so soon. We tried a worm, a slug, a pinkie, a feeder gold fish (now I know better), a cricket (before I read they don't eat them, pet store said to feed her them)... also shaved raw chicken and pork from the freezer, and we took the breading off a fish stick and offered that to her too, now I know that was not the best thing to offer anyway, but at the time we just wanted her to eat anything we could get into her

[katach]

Sounds like you had a Puget (Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii). Possibly a young one. Our females are about 32in. and the males aren't too far behind. They can be quite temperamental at times. We have 3 and another that belongs to Chantel (kibakiba) as soon as I get to her place to give it to her. They seem to like fish the most. We feed ours talapia and salmon. They like worms and pinkies too, just not as much. I think you would really love a Northwestern though. They don't get very big usually right around 24in for the females and a little smaller for the males. They all seem to have very sweet personalities and most adapt to captivity relatively quickly. Once you get them eating they are piggies. I think they are really underrated, probably because they don't get huge like the other garter species and breeding is difficult to predict. If you want, next week on one of my days off, we can get together and go snake hunting. I know a wonderful place for NWs.

[Lisa4john]

That would be very cool. I have not gone snake hunting before. Usually it's my son doing that. :-)

[katach]

I get my schedule for next week tomorrow so I'll see what days I have off. I am a manager in a sporting goods store so my days off are never the same. We could go after school starts and be back before it gets out though. I'll pm you my phone number.