MC's Snakes

[ProXimuS]

They all look so cute together! And Ember's face is so pretty

[Invisible Snake]

Great pics!

[EasternGirl]

I just love your pics...the first pic in the first set and the last pic in the last set of pics...just priceless! I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your little one. I know it would break my heart to lose one of my babies. It is definitely hard when you do not know the cause...but sometimes we will never know these things. Some babies just don't make it. Rest in peace little one...although your time on earth was short, you were loved.

Do you feed your snakes a balanced diet? I am very big on balanced diets in garters. Fish is good...but I don't think it is a good idea to feed fish all the time...and salmon does have a high mercury content. I would consider alternating fish with worms and pinkies. I give my babies fish from time to time...but their diet is one that is primarily nightcrawlers. My adults get nightcrawlers, pinkies and fish.

[MCwyo]

Time for an update on my little buddies!

First off, we released Dragon quite a while ago. We picked a location in the same general area we found her, but away from the road and the walking paths. It's a perfect little garter heaven- very wooded, lots of brush & grass, a brook, a marsh. I took photos, but they are on my phone... not sure how to get them off. When I figure it out I will post them.

The babies are doing great. I've decided to hold them over the winter and release in spring. Aside from Ember (whom I found in a storm drain) I did not see one single scrub out and about this year. I usually see quite a few garter scrubs every year, along with green racers. I think it was a pretty bad year for the snakes. I hope they will have a good shot at survival next year. I plan to release them in the same general area Dragon was released. As a side note, it has been decided that my daughter is not going to have her own garters at this time. Long story, but she disregaurded the snake rules in a VERY big and serious way. "Rusty" has gone to live with a friend of mine from work, and "Scute" will be among the released scrubs.

I have decided to keep just 4 vagrans total. Ember, and three I picked from the litter. I currently have my 4 keepers in a ten gallon, and the remaining litter in a 30 gallon. We are planning to move next spring/summer, and when we are settled I will expand to larger tanks. If things start getting crowded for my 4 keepers in the mean time, I have plenty of extra 10 gal tanks that I can separate them into for the winter. One of my extra 10's is currently set up for some new additions I'm expecting next week... my first ever garter snake *purchase*. I am VERY excited!!!

As far as diet goes, I have stopped feeding salmon and switched to tilapia. As of yesterday, I have FINALLY gotten 2 of my babies to eat worms. The third baby will still have nothing to do with it (and then there's Ember who will literally eat anything you put in front of her face) I do supplement with vitamins every couple of feedings (cal +vit D) and I have found a pet store about 30-45 minutes away that will order in silver-sides for me starting in November. It's a no-go on pinkies... I think the rest of the house hold would want to be rid of the snakes if I started feeding pinkies. We have kept pet mice and rats for many years and the sentiments run high. I have thought about feeding vole though... more on that later. This post is getting long as it is.

Now the photos!

First off, here are the three snakes I have chosen to keep. I'm still up in the air about names. I have kinda picked names but they just don't... click. So suggestions are welcome.
　
Snake one... the lightest colored of the bunch:



Snake two, my favorite:



Snake 3:



And of course, Ember. I love this snake. When I put my hand in the cage she comes right out & climbs up on me.

[MCwyo]

And the tanks. My vagrans 10 gal..



My 30 gal..



In the 30 gal I have one of the coolest pieces of driftwood I've ever found and it makes an awesome hide for the babies. It's a hollow, twisted log that has been shaped by the river. Not quite as cool in the photos as it is in person. The babies love it!

[MCwyo]

Aaaaand some random photos to finish of this mile long post.






　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

[guidofatherof5]

Awesome!

[snake man]

Nice looking snakes!

[MCwyo]

Thanks guys. Just had to hop on here really quick and comment on a snake I dubbed "Tiny".

Out of the litter of 14 scrubs, I have lost 2. One is mentioned earlier in this thread, the other never ate and passed away. In my 30 gal, I have one poor skinny ity-bity scrub... "Tiny". Tiny has never shown interest in food. I have repeatedly offered different things trying to get this little guy to eat. On several occasions, I actually force-fed him small bits of tilapia. He'd swallow them, but only with great difficulty, and it hasen't really made a difference. He seems to shrink as the others grow. I've been at the point where I feel it might be better to PTS or release and let nature take it's course. But I've kept trying because this little one has just really tugged at my heartstrings. Tonight was feeding night for the 30 gal, & I took Tiny out last to see if I could get something into him. He chowed down three decent sized pieces of tilapia!!!!! All on his own!! This is the first time he has ever shown any interest in any type of food, and acted on his own to eat. It's so wonderful to see this little one's belly full, I almost cried. If he dose survive, I believe I will have 5 vagrans staying with me instead of 4.

[snake man]

Congratz!