Beginner breeding?

[Dragonbeards]

First of all, as for species I think I have settled on Blue Sides. Anyways, I was wondering if it would be an okay idea to breed them, even though I am new at snakes?

I have been reading up on breeding, and I was thinking I would just keep the pair together in the same cage throughout the year (I don't know what size yet, I haven't obtained a tank). I'm not sure if I would hibernate or not, it would depend on if I could find someplace that maintained a fairly stable temperature. Basically, I'd just let it happen, according to luck (though I might try, if I got desperate enough)

I am fully prepared on what to expect with breeding, and have a pretty good idea on how to care for the young. Any tips? Good idea? Bad?


Thanks,

Dragonbeards

[guidofatherof5]

It's more according to nature, than luck.
The care sheet has a couple sections that address brumation and breeding. From there you can post specific question not contained in the care sheet if you don't mind.
Garter Snake Care Sheet - Caresheets

[kibakiba]

well if you "just let it happen" you could end up having what happened to me. My two got it on in June and she didn't get pregnant, did it again in early august and now shes growing bigger. Lol, my snakes are strange but who knows, I'll let the experienced breeders tell you about it. I've only had my snakes mate, my female's never given birth.

[ConcinusMan]

Yeah kibakiba but your snakes are northwesterns. Not uncommon at all for them to mate several times a year and not get gravid. But they do hold the sperm and ovulate whenever the heck they feel like getting gravid.

Most garter snakes ovulate immediately after mating and so if you observe a lock, it is pretty much guaranteed to be gravid and you can predict within 10 days or so, when the babies will come.

Northwesterns don't make it so easy for us.

Your girl probably is gravid though. An early mating, and then one later followed by ovulating is pretty typical

[Dragonbeards]

I do think I have some questions. Scratch blue sides, think I'm gonna go for red sides. I like the coloring on them, and they seem to be fairly popular, so I shouldn't have too difficult of a time finding homes for them, depending on where they are posted. Did have a few questions though.

• On average, how many babies do red sides give birth to?
• I have three kitty litter containers, all about five gallons(two are pet pride, one is tidy cats, for those of you who own cats). Could these be used as housing for the young? I also have a 15g tank (but with a 10g footprint), so I was thinking paper towel substrate in all of them, with a few branches to climb on and some sphagnum moss for a humidity gradient. They would all have an escape proof (I hope) screen top, and lighting and heat would just be ambient light and room temperature (around 75 degrees). Is this an okay set-up?
• I was planning on just feeding all the babies separate, but how much should they be fed? I'll be raising worms, how much should they get?

Thanks. I think thats about it. If I think of anything else, I'll be sure to ask.

[HazAnga]

well... I have a trio of checkereds. females are albino male is normal. I didn't intent to breed this year, but... it happened anyway. i originally had the male, i purchesed the females from a guy about an hour and a half from me. the male was almost instantly interested, that i saw. i never hibernated anyone, my room temperature naturally went down during the winter. but i ended up with ten babies. I put them in a 15 Gal with a small heating pad and a florescent 5.0 light. the babies love feeder guppies, choped up worm and f/t pinkie, and raw fish that has been stolen from my dinner, i asked my dad to set some aside before he cooked it. the first time it was pickerel i think and tonight was rainbow trout. they loves the rainbow, but yet so did i. lol. so other then that it's pretty easy. they do like to eat like every other day... i feed them every 2-3 days and they just dive in (always watch them at feeding time, especially if feeding in a group)
P.S. This is my first time breeding.

[guidofatherof5]

Nick,
sounds like you're having a great time with your Checkereds.
The days of you eating Rainbow trout is over. The snakes come first.
Babies eat a lot. They will eat every day if you let them but I don't recommend it.
They are trying to put on as much size as they can to get out of that "happy meal" size they are in.
Keep up the good work.
I believe pickerel are in the pike family and that is on the safe fish list.
Keep us post on your progress.

[kibakiba]

That is true, and it would seem she is. She's almost doubled in size already, weight wise. She went off food for 3 weeks but a couple days ago ate a couple large night crawlers. I love how chubby she is now it's so cute. Maybe I'll get a picture of her in a couple days.

Yeah kibakiba but your snakes are northwesterns. Not uncommon at all for them to mate several times a year and not get gravid. But they do hold the sperm and ovulate whenever the heck they feel like getting gravid.

Most garter snakes ovulate immediately after mating and so if you observe a lock, it is pretty much guaranteed to be gravid and you can predict within 10 days or so, when the babies will come.

Northwesterns don't make it so easy for us.

Your girl probably is gravid though. An early mating, and then one later followed by ovulating is pretty typical