Garters with kids

[Selkielass]

I want to get a northwestern, just to see how similar their behavior is, but the only ones that have turned up at my local population reptile show looked almost identical to my butlers. Id like to get one that doesn't resemble my local snakes to avoid confusion.

Butlers twine and hold onto fingers. Nearly impossible to provoke into biting. Small species (20If inches) does we'll in small enclosures. Thrives on worms so easy to feed for the squeamish (no rodents needed. Low food bill.)

Brachiostoma- runny snake. Bit and drew blood repeatedly. Small species, but protected.

Young Puget sound garter- doesn't twine or hold on much. Hates to be squeezed or have movement restricted by any pressure at all. Fast mover when spooked.

Easterns- climb over hands, will wedge body in folds of clothing to feel secure and to climb for a better view, but don't hug with body much. Grow very large and may intimidate snake shy people. Big eater
Big pooper.

Marcianus- pretty colors, some will eat readily in front of strangers an
d even accept food from unfamiliar hands. May try to eat unfamiliar hands. May grow quite large. Big eaters and poopers.

[Steveo]

When looking for something calm for a kid, I'd suggest getting an adult snake that is already known to be calm. Some just never settle down.

[Selkielass]

Very true. The outer I mentioned above may never calm down enough to tolerate handling by unskilled hands without excessive stress- he has personal space issues children can't or wont respect. Great attitude tho..

[chris-uk]

My radix girl could probably be handled by anyone that was confident enough to want to, and she's robust enough for me not to worry about her "getting broken". She's the only one though.
I wouldn't want a child handling any of my others. The female Cuitzeo is actually much more handlable than most of the others now, and at 352g she's sturdy, trouble is she's only handled by me really (Char occassionally) so I don't know how she would be with other people. My checkereds can be quick and nervous. Blacknecks... I wouldn't even consider letting others handle, as I now regard them as "watching snakes". Male Cuitzeo is too nervous. Male radix is too unpredictable. And the infernalis babies are too nervous, quick and delicate.

I think it comes to individual personality rather than trends for a particular species.

[d_virginiana]

Garters seem to be okay with being handled by specific people rather than being handled in general. I mean, they're not difficult to handle if you know what you're doing around snakes, but mine definitely act differently around me than with people they don't know. My blind one will panic if he smells someone other than me in his tank, and refuses to go to other people's hands. Harley is much more active with other people holding her, but when it's me she's content to just wrap around my hand and sit there.

[ConcinusMan]

And I can get just about any garter to do that when they're cold. Temperature makes a big difference in how they react to handling. Something to keep in mind.