I'm finally a garter snake owner! (For real this time!)

[Floof]

So Petsmart's Black Friday sale took another victim yesterday morning... I went in to take advantage of their killer sale on 3' Exo Terras, and walked out with a garter snake in tow! I know, I'm an evil, dirty impulse buyer... Lol! So much for my first garter being a concinnus--guess it will have to be the next one.

So I finally have a garter! Just a little overdue, considering I joined up here to learn about them over 3 years ago now. Lol!

All I have are not so fantastic cell pics, so here goes...


His set up... Just a simple 15 qt tub for now.


Forgot to ask when he'd last eaten (or what he was eating) when I got him, so opted to feed him this afternoon. Just pinky parts for now, which I'm so thrilled he took! Can't wait to try salmon next... In part because it means I'll be having salmon for lunch for a few days! (My aunt went fishing in AK this year, so the freezer is full of wildcaught salmon and halibut!)



If anyone has any suggestions/advice on care, set up, diet, etc--please, please share! This newbie can sure use them. Garters definitely seem quite different from the corn/rat snakes I'm used to!

[infernalis]

Congratulations! That's a nice looking albino.

[guidofatherof5]

Congrats.
Good looking Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garter. Night crawlers would also be a good diet mix.
How sure are you it's a male?

[rickymar81]

Sweet looking checkered..... What part of socal are you from?

[Floof]

Thanks, guys!

Steve, I haven't actually checked. Just a bad habit of defaulting to "he" when referring to unsexed critters. Which reminds me, what is the ideal way of sexing a little guy like this? I know popping works well for corn snakes, but he's sooo tiny.

Ricky, I'm living just outside of San Bernardino currently.

[Floof]

Oh, and thanks for the tip on the nightcrawlers. I'll have to pick some up. (The skinks will be very happy about that, lol!)

[Eddie]

Checkered's are awesome first garters! If I were you since it is taking unscented pinky parts I would just stick to mice. It makes them grow fast and keeps the poop stabile. lol
Good luck
Ed

[guidofatherof5]

Thanks, guys!

Steve, I haven't actually checked. Just a bad habit of defaulting to "he" when referring to unsexed critters. Which reminds me, what is the ideal way of sexing a little guy like this? I know popping works well for corn snakes, but he's sooo tiny.

Ricky, I'm living just outside of San Bernardino currently.

Check out this thread. It will show you how to visually sex your snake or at least show you the kind of photos to post for us to lend a hand.

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/bree...xing-pics.html

[Floof]

Thank you for the link, Steve! I will post tail pics once he's digested his meal. I think I overdid it a little with that second pinky part! Definitely a bit of a learning curve, haha. Fortunately he doesn't seem to have any problems keeping it down.

Oh boy. I could see myself getting in trouble with these guys very easily. I stopped in at the LPS for nightcrawlers and mealies (the dubia colony is having trouble keeping up with all the skinks, lol), and as always cruised the reptiles. This time around they had garters... A "Canadian Garter" and an albino checkered baby. I was sooo tempted to snag the Canadian... It didn't help the urge that their care is atrocious (as it always is). Gravel substrate and no hides for either. But at the same time, that's exactly why I try not to support them any more than necessary. (They're the only place that stocks nightcrawlers, and for mealworms it's them or Petco.)

[guidofatherof5]

Canadian Garter, aka Thamnophis parietalis - Red Sided Garter probably. Garters are addictive to say the least. No other snake like them. The best kept secret in the snake hobby. Maligned even by other snake keepers. Their loss is our gain.
Make sure your worms are Canadian night crawlers - Lumbricus terrestris
Lumbricus terrestris - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia