Help with identification

[Charlene89]

Hi I am not sure what type of garter this is but it mostly resembles an Eastern or black necked in my own eyes but I thought I could get some input. It's not exactly a pet of mine. In October we had 2 days of 80 plus degrees outside and I was coming up my driveway and seen it. I brought it in to share with my son. Well the next day it was less then 50 outside and I didn't know they brumate and the local wildlife people told me it would freeze if I let it go. I kept it and it wouldn't eat for nearly 3 weeks no matter what I offered(works, crickets, minnows). But I finally found some guppies (live) and it ate like a champ! I read that live dish are bad for them cause parasites, but it is wild. Still I didn't want it to get sick. So I decided to put a thawed pinkie in it's water and it ate it so now it eats pinkies. I feel so bad, but I'm keeping contact down to a minimum to see if I can release it in the spring but I'm not too sure because its so calm. It's never struck at me. I've held it to remove it from it's tank to clean up but that's all. I'm so unsure and I don't even know what kind of garter it is.

[BUSHSNAKE]

Eastern. Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis

[Charlene89]

Eastern. Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis

Thank you that's what I thought. I appreciate your help!

[guidofatherof5]

Ditch the crickets, they don't eat them. The crickets injure/bite the snake if left in there.

[Albert Clark]

Nice find in any case.

[Charlene89]

Ditch the crickets, they don't eat them. The crickets injure/bite the snake if left in there.

I didn't leave any food in there. The snake showed no interest so I just took out the cricket. But I have the snake on pinkies now. 2 pinkies every 7 days. I'm thinking of trying a fuzzy but I'm not sure sense the snake is only 18 inches long and not very thick. I will probably buy a fuzzy and do a size comparison to the largest part of the snake. I was told the food should be a little bigger then the widest part on the snakes body. I don't know if its male or female so I keep referring to it as "the snake" instead of he or she. Lol. When I realized I had to care for it I spent days researching and I found most discussions on this site to be extremely helpful. Thanks why I joined.

[Charlene89]

Thank you. I've never seen one with the light red on its sides where I live. They are always just dark olive or brown with white or yellowish stripes. That's why I was so excited to show my son and husband. Not only does its sides have red tints but the checkers on the top kind of split the dorsal stripe and make it look like dashes going down its back. Its beautiful.