my 10 year old garter passed on

[charles parenteau]

Sorry for your lost ! 10 years is very good!!!
This female eastern is around 10 years old and still alive in september 09.
She is from the first blais flame lineage .

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, boyjoe

so sorry that it's a loss that brings you here
welcome to the forum though
what kind of garter was she?

[ConcinusMan]

Probally just died of old age.They only live 10-15 years.

The only garters I ever had from less than a year old to the end of their lives were sirtalis concinnus. Male died at 18 yrs, female died at 21. I really didn't expect them to live that long when I got them. I think if you keep them warm year round and push for fast growth, that could be a factor in shortening their lives. Think about it. That's about 7 years of rest over her lifetime! My pair always got some kind of cool inactive period every winter and they never ate rodents. I had a young (WC, age unknown) ordinoides that died after about 9 years in captivity. All three of these snakes were definitely showing the signs(poor feeding, reduced mobility) for about a year before they died, in addition to barely any growth, (and looking old like that flame eastern above) in the last 3 years or so. (they were already maxed out, size wise)

10 years, not bad. Pretty average, I think.

[charles parenteau]

Wow this very 0ld 18 and 21 years old!!!
I agree 100/100 with you about food and cooling period .
I beleive I will return to my old fashion .
just give to my animal their natural food and a hibernbation period at least 4 -5 months to all my eastern sirtalis sirtalis .
Im from Quebec usually garter here they are hibernating around 7 months but its rough for garter snake that why hibernate them just 4-5 months
I will tried to give theme their natural environnment this is the best
and for northern eastern uv light is really needed at least for female .many little thing that make the difference in the garter life ...

ITs very interresting to know that a garter can live over 15 years!!!!

[ConcinusMan]

I think the age limit is highly variable depending on species/subspecies (Genetics) and it seems like the slower growing yet larger (max size) garters tend to live longer. Also, one more thing, I only produced 8 litters (about 170 young) in all that time, and never two years in a row. Easier on the female that way. My cool-down period varied from at least 3 months, but up to 5 months. I say "cool down period" because many years (when not breeding that year) that's really all it amounted to. I wouldn't call it full out brumating. Just temps in the 55-65 degree range and about an 8 hour, less intense daylight period. And I agree about the UV. At the time I got them, UV lighting for reptiles was kind of a new concept and it was the general concensus that snakes don't need it. (same sources that claimed sirtalis' only live 10-15 years) It was mainly for desert lizards and tortises. But I figured these snakes love to bask in the sun part of the day so... They got full-spectrum UVA/UVB florescent (15watts for 2 square feet, 12 inches above them) as their ambient indoor light source in addition to being placed outside occasionally in a special sun/basking cage I made for them in the summer. Of course I always provided a way to get out of the light too. Calcium/vitamin/mineral supplements were used very sparingly, and the photoperiod was such as to mimic the local cycles.(SW WA State)