Evil Garter Snake

[xStatic]

Good news! I've been using rubber gloves as suggested and she's calmed down completely! I have been doing 20 minute handling sessions with her every other day and although she's still a little bit skiddish (as she's always been) she no longer tries to bite me, and usually doesn't even musk thanks for helping me get my pet snake back to her good ol' self!!

[Selkielass]

Yaaaaaaay!
im so glad one if our suggestions seems to have helped- it can be soooo frustrating Shen a pets temperament changes for no reason we can identify.

[guidofatherof5]

Glad it's working out.

[EKS56]

When you say rubber gloves are you talking about the thin latex type or the thicker dish washing gloves?

[aquamentus_11]

i like it when they posture and flatten out......is that wrong?

[ConcinusMan]

Be very sure of your temperatures. Make sure you're not overheating. A basking area around 85F is plenty high enough but be sure the air temperature stays in the 70's and that the snake can cool down to low 70's if they choose to. Better to error a bit on the cool side than too warm. If it's constantly just a bit too warm with no cool-down period at night snakes can get very grouchy and it also stresses their immune system making them vulnerable to R.I.'s. Most cases of bacterial R.I. are actually caused by lack of a wide enough gradient (inability to choose a body temp as low as 70 or as high as 88 at any given time) and keeping them too warm or the enclosure uniformly warm.


Put lights and heat on a timer and/or thermostat so the day/night cycle is regular. Cool the entire enclosure down to 65-70 at night for around 8 hours of regularly timed uninterrupted darkness. During the day one end should be low 70's air temp and your basking spot should be highly localized low to upper 80's.

The behavior you described can be caused by the snake being a bit too warm. Cooling down a bit at night is important too so they rest better.

[xStatic]

Be very sure of your temperatures. Make sure you're not overheating. A basking area around 85F is plenty high enough but be sure the air temperature stays in the 70's and that the snake can cool down to low 70's if they choose to. Better to error a bit on the cool side than too warm. If it's constantly just a bit too warm with no cool-down period at night snakes can get very grouchy and it also stresses their immune system making them vulnerable to R.I.'s. Most cases of bacterial R.I. are actually caused by lack of a wide enough gradient (inability to choose a body temp as low as 70 or as high as 88 at any given time) and keeping them too warm or the enclosure uniformly warm.


Put lights and heat on a timer and/or thermostat so the day/night cycle is regular. Cool the entire enclosure down to 65-70 at night for around 8 hours of regularly timed uninterrupted darkness. During the day one end should be low 70's air temp and your basking spot should be highly localized low to upper 80's.

The behavior you described can be caused by the snake being a bit too warm. Cooling down a bit at night is important too so they rest better.

Thanks! Luckily her tank is set up so that it goes through a cycle very similar to the one you described. I use a heat emitting light during the day and the basking temp stays around 82*F. The light is on a 12 hour on/off cycle and my room temperature is usually 68-70*F. We do usually turn the central heat off at night so the ambient temp at night might drop a few degrees lower than 68.

She's doing much better now though! So I have a feeling she was just skittish/grouchy because she got accustomed to being left alone all of the time, and now that I'm back and messing around in my room more she's adjusted to my presence and isn't quite as startled or angry at me.

[aquamentus_11]

If it's constantly just a bit too warm with no cool-down period at night snakes can get very grouchy and it also stresses their immune system making them vulnerable to R.I.'s. Most cases of bacterial R.I. are actually caused by lack of a wide enough gradient and keeping them too warm or the enclosure uniformly warm.

nice, new this. thanks

[Hans]

Most of my Nerodia fasciata will try to bite, but with gloves it's not much of a problem. A few Thamnophis will strike (male Thamnophis melanogaster canescens. male Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis, female Thamnophis atratus stratus); it doesn't bother me. Snake room cools down at night (60*F); I can handle my snakes best in the morning when they're not so active.