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[snakegirl909]

Hey guys!
Sorry for not doing any more updates, but nothing really has been happening. he has not gone into shed yet, and today he refused to eat for some reason. I'm thinking thats normal, but I'm not sure. I have been feeding him weekly. How often do garter snakes go into shed? If his cage is more humid, will he go into shed quicker?
Thanks!

[guidofatherof5]

Good to get an update.
Sheds are determined by age, food intake, growth rate and other factors. Predicting a shed would be difficult.
Supplying a large water source is a good idea.

[snakegirl909]

His water dish is currently 5 inches by 6 inches. Should i put a larger dish in?

[guidofatherof5]

As long as he can soak in it it should be fine. If there is more room and you have a larger bowl it wouldn't hurt anything to upgrade.

[snakegirl909]

yes I do have room. He is currently in a 30 gallon long aquarium, which is very large for a 15 inch garter snake. He has enough room for him to soak in, but I never see him soaking in it. The only time I see him near his water dish is when he is drinking water.

[guidofatherof5]

If the truth be known I think we all be surprised at the amount of time our garters spend in their water.

[EKS56]

You don't want your snake to dry up. A moist snake is a happy and healthy snake. A dehydrated snake even looks bad. Has a dull color to them. A hydrated snake will have a shiny bright color.

[d_virginiana]

Changing soaking habits can be an indicator of how they're feeling as well. I've seen two of mine drastically increase how often they soak when they had health problems.

[snakegirl909]

I see him over by the water dish daily, but just drinking. Are you guys saying that my snake isn't healthy if he's not soaking? He looks hydrated, and i see him drinking water often.

[d_virginiana]

I see him over by the water dish daily, but just drinking. Are you guys saying that my snake isn't healthy if he's not soaking? He looks hydrated, and i see him drinking water often.

I think how much they soak is a personality thing. Some of mine soak a lot and some almost never do. If you have a snake that never soaks and suddenly starts soaking all the time (or vice versa) it may be a sign that they aren't feeling well. If he's drinking, he's probably fine. If he needs to soak to help with shedding, he'll get in there.

They vary a lot between individuals in everything from soaking to eating to how much time they spend hiding. It's when one suddenly changes their behavior that something might be wrong.