Marnie's Snakes

[guidofatherof5]

Amazon.com: Used and New: Zoo Med Stainless Steel Feeding Tongs, 10-Inch

[EasternGirl]

Thanks!

[EasternGirl]

Seriously...anyone who has not experienced the personality of garters has to get a garter snake. Possum is just downright hysterical. He plays games with me. He loves to play peek-a-boo games with me....and I know you guys know what I mean when I say that there is no way I can actually describe it so that you will get the full "cuteness" and amazing interaction that occurs between us...but he just does this little thing every night where he comes out of his hide and then he goes into his plants and pops his head out looking for me....then he pops it back in...then he sees me and shoots straight out of the plant toward my face...it's so hysterical. Then he goes in his hide and pops his head out and gets the silliest look on his face, and as soon as I look at him he pops his head back in. Then he waits...and pops his head back out again. If I walk away...he will come out and look all over for me. I think I am going to cut bigger holes in his cardboard hides though. I have figured out that with his neuro problems, I think he gets "lost" in the hides sometimes. He seems to have trouble finding the little hole to get out. I think he will do much better if I make bigger holes in the hides. He and Hermes are so cute...at any given time, I can lift up a hide and find the two of them coiled around each other.

[EasternGirl]

Getting concerned about Cee Cee at this point. The theory last summer was that she retained her litter and began to reabsorb the babies...she passed 30 stillborns that were very dried up and deformed looking. Wayne told me that most likely since I took her in when she was gravid (I did not know she was gravid when I took her in...and I had to take her in or she would have been killed by a lawnmower) she probably went into protective mode and retained her litter. She was lucky that she didn't go septic. She is so huge now...and I am thinking she has been gravid for a while...she needs to have her litter or whatever she is carrying. I'm worried that she may try to retain this one too and she could go septic. She is such a skiddish snake...she trusts me more than anyone else, but she barely trusts me. Steve mentioned a warm bath to get things going...but holding her stresses her out to begin with...and she really doesn't want to be handled now...and she gets freaked out being put in water. I'm afraid of stressing her out. I have to go out for a while...but thoughts, suggestions? Should I take her to the vet? God...a trip to the vet would be so stressful, she probably couldn't handle it right now. That would really put her in protective mode.

[kibakiba]

I'd say don't take her to a vet yet. You've seen pictures of other peoples gravid garters, she's not much bigger than that. If you stress her out any more, she's likely to retain those too.

[EasternGirl]

Well, Cee Cee is now refusing food. I'm wondering if this means that she is getting close to delivering? She looks like her skin is getting dull and dusty too...like a shed may be approaching. She did come out of her hide to look at me a couple of times tonight...and to get a drink of water and poop. Mike suggested that maybe I try covering her enclosure with a towel to give her some privacy...I did that, but she seems to want to be able to look out and around. I am keeping it covered at night though. I moved Seeley into another enclosure. She literally turned her head away when I tried to offer her some pinkies tonight. We'll see...I'll keep everyone posted.

[kimbosaur]

I'm so excited for you! Hope you get lots of healthy little ones.

[mikem]

Sounds like she's getting close.

[EasternGirl]

Thanks...I'm not letting myself get excited because of the fact that she had stillborns last summer and because of the fact that she wasn't brumated. This could also be a stored sperm situation since I never actually saw Seeley and her lock up. Steve explained that if it is a stored sperm situation, that lessens the chances of her having live young as well. At this point I am just worried for her...I just want her to do something soon...to get whatever is inside of her out safely and come out of the whole ordeal healthy. If she has some healthy live little ones, that will be an added bonus...and then I will get excited once I know Cee Cee is okay. She is my special girl.

[mikem]

I understand that. It's always stressful when there's uncertainties involved.