Busy place!

[MlizGr]

Hello all. Figured I should probably join the forum since I spent all day reading on it. Very useful information, and hopefully it will help me give St. George much better care.

I honestly had never planned to get any snake, since most 'pet' snake types were bigger than I was interested in, and everything I had heard about the smaller types were that they didn't curl about your fingers, but would just always travel straight.

Then I found St. George in the middle of a road covered with otherwise dead garters and picked him up to move him. He instantly started curling around my fingers. So he came home with me. Sadly, I had everything at my house to set up a more than suitable tank for him. Two actually once my we have finished making a snake proof lid for the 29 gallon he will eventually be moved permanently to.

I am assuming he is male based on the fact that he seems to have a long, thin tail, but I could of course be wrong on that. He's been in my care for about a week now, and currently his primary food is slugs, since I have a plethora of these in my garden and I'm saving the earthworms I've been catching in a suitable breeding/living area for winter. I'll also be getting some feeder guppies to give him more variety to his diet, as well as some calcium powder.

Since finding him I've done at least a little more research on garter snakes every day, and have decided that there will likely always be at least one living in my house, since they truly do come in some beautiful colors and variations. However, I believe that St. George is a Thamnophis elegans vagrans and as such, a snake eater, so no tank mates for him.

Oh yeah.. Guess I should say something about me. My name's Megan, and currently I'm an unemployed artist living in Montana. I've never owned a snake in my life, much less a garter, so any and all advice is more than welcome!

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard.

[Fishsticks]

Hi Megan! Congratulations on the discovery of St. George (also, appropriate name for him).

I'm something of a garter novice myself, but if I had to suggest anything (that you haven't already covered, which was just about everything), it would be to make certain that there is a good sturdy branch or three for Georgie to climb on. (Provided of course that you curtail his escape artist tendencies with a secure lid.) I say this because so far, every garter I've got loves to climb and settle on provided branches, good for them, also lovely to watch.

Anyway, welcome!

[drache]

Welcome to the forum, Megan
and congratulations on your new buddy
I too love the garters that curl around one's fingers

[Selkielass]

Congratulations on finding a sweetheart! (Lucky him- it sounds like he was in dangerous territory!) Consider offering him bits of fish (Salmon, trout, tilapia.) and feeder mice in case the supply of worms becomes iffy. The more things he is happy eating the easier feeding becomes.

[guidofatherof5]

Great having you on the forum.
Sounds like St. George has a good caregiver.
Be warned, one just isn't enough. They seem to multiply right before your eyes.
The phrase "it's just one more" will become part of your vocabulary but don't be concerned. It's a good thing.

[infernalis]

[MlizGr]

Well, I am going to be getting feeder guppies as well, and he'll be getting little bits of fish whenever I decide to treat myself to some! I think in time I might start offering him the occasional pinky, but that will wait until after I decide where I'm going to move and see if I can even find a supplier in that area. Sorry, but unless I'm going to have a huge freezer I don't want to be buying them in bulk.

As for the branch, I actually found a simply perfect one yesterday, soaked it for a while, then baked it. It's sitting in his to be tank, waiting for him to move in! Only just fits in that tank, and it curls up almost to the top, so I'm sure it will be perfect! I'm planning to get some coconut fiber or eco earth for his substrate in time, but for now I am using paper towels.

[Mommy2many]

Welcome to the forum from Connecticut!

[Tyrel26]

Welcome!

I just have one comment, to talk of a snake and not to post a picture is kinda like drinking straight from the punch bowl at a party lol