How did u guys get started in garters?

[Starling96]

i googled it and the belly sorta reminds me of a ringneck

[d_virginiana]

I got Houdini when I was 10, and my grandpa told me I could get a snake without my parents' permission. At under a week old, he escaped from the tank in the store, and I got a 'you find him and he's free' deal. Being 10, I lost interest in him fairly quickly and he just sat in the upstairs room for about 11 years.

This past year I was having a really rough time. I started handling him a lot more as a stress-reliever, and then I started wondering what I could do to make him more content, so I ended up here. This forum is really largely responsible for reigniting my interest in garters (and for Houdini getting a future girlfriend!). Haha, psychological therapy snakes. That's what they are, and that's why I enjoy keeping them lol

[kibakiba]

Snakey has been my best friend when life got so tough I couldn't even get out of bed. I'd just ask my mom to bring him to me, and having him slither around on my chest and eventually curling up on my neck with his head resting on my cheek was the best therapy I could have gotten at the time. It made me feel like I had a real friend for the first time in my life, someone who didn't care if I was fat, lazy, had emotional and mental problems, and never got mad at me for being ignorant or upset about a little thing. I don't think anything could replace the love I have for Snakey. I don't think I'd be able to choose between my boyfriend or Snakey if it came to something like that, Snakey is one of the most important friends that I have. I've had Snakey for almost as long as I've been with my boyfriend, and Snakey has never made a rude joke about my weight

[RedSidedSPR]

I guess they would make good therapy...

i googled it and the belly sorta reminds me of a ringneck

I have found red belly water snakes, they're in NC. Really awesome snakes!

[Starling96]

sweet
How big do they get?
And i know how u guys feel about snake therapy
I got into to lots of trouble last year like more than a 14 year old coukld have ever imagined

[RedSidedSPR]

Big. Bigger than most other water snakes I've found.

When I'm on a computer I'll PM you some pics I have.

[jitami]

I'm loving these stories. I grew up loving everything about nature and was often the 'holder' for whatever the boys were busy catching. I was such a little tomboy and loved every second. When my own two sons were 8 and 10 some of the neighborhood kids had gone to our little greenbelt creek and brought home a yearling T. e. elegans. All of the boys were busy begging their parents to keep it, but were being met with resounding NO's. I went to take a look at the little guy and I felt so sorry about how he was being mishandled. I said, 'let me see it' and that was the end of that. It's so easy to fall in love with those big curious eyes. We've had Sly since 2002 and have added 4 other snakes (2 CB garter babies, another WC elegans from our suburban driveway, and most recently my little princess mountain king). I think it's funny that both of my wild caught snakes were virtually on my doorstep despite living in the middle of suburbia.

We also had a corn for about a year that was more of a rescue. He was cool, but when I found someone looking to add a pet corn to their family I let him go. I just got a nice update about him and he's still doing well, so we're all happy.

A rubber boa (Charina bottae) is next on my wish list as I have very fond memories of playing with them as a child. Living jewelry is pretty cool, even to a tomboy

[Starling96]

Sounds good Jesse
and i liked the story above
only if my parents were more like you

[jitami]

Sounds good Jesse
and i liked the story above
only if my parents were more like you

Well, my parents weren't much like me... and my grandma would have us dancing around on a picnic table until someone removed or killed any nearby snake... you get to change things for the next generation, though

[Starling96]

haha yea
i plan to breed garters
i bet once i have my own kids they will want there "own" snake lol