New!!

[caresssse]

Hello! I'm new here - above is my albino checkered garter Harlequin, she is about 3 yrs old. I bought her back in 2009 from an independent pet shop in Baltimore, and she's been a wonderful pet for a college student (kept her in the dorms against regulations, hehe) I love snakes and would love to get another garter or maybe a corn snake some day.

I have a question, though - I just moved out of my dorm and into a small apartment, where I no longer have free unlimited air conditioning My roommate and I always turn the AC off when we're not at home so as to keep our utility bill as low as possible. I live in southern GA, and temperatures are now around 90 F (32 C) and rising, and during the day when we're out the place gets HOT. I just moved her over from the dorms tonight, but I'm worried about leaving her all day in that kind of heat.... will she be okay or should I be leaving the AC on for her? Is there any other option than that?

Thanks! I look forward to posting more on this site

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard.

[chris-uk]

Welcome aboard, lovely checkered girl you have and that's a great photo.

With respect to the temps. Do you know what temperature inside the apartment reaches during the day? Is the 90F you mention the indoor temp or outside temp?
My Cuitzeo garter chooses to spend almost all day on a shelf near her lamp where she is over 30C (she actually has a basking spot that is higher up and nearer 40C, she chooses to use it for short periods most days), but she does have the choice to move lower where the ground temp is 28C or to the cold side which is room temp (which tends to be 21-22C).

If you can't keep the AC set to room temp all day can you set the AC to come on and maintain the temp at 28C while you are out? Then at least you know that the room isn't going to get stupidly hot. Presumably when the AC is running you have a heat source for the warm side of her viv?

[guidofatherof5]

Nice to have you on the forum.
Beautiful Checkered (T.marcianus)
Here's a link to the forum care sheet. It's always good read.
Garter Snake Forum - Garter Caresheet

[katach]

Welcome to the forum family!

[Didymus20X6]

[mikem]

Nice photo! Welcome to the forum

[gazzamann]

class pic , welcome to the forum

[EasternGirl]

Hi and welcome to the forum! Cute pic...what kind of hide is that? It looks pretty cool! I would worry about leaving my snakes in heat like that. Snakes need to be able to thermoregulate...they need to be able to warm up when they want, and cool down if they need to. In temps like that all day...I would fear that she wouldn't be able to cool down. Like Chris said...is there anyway you can set the air to come on when necessary so that it doesn't run constantly?

[Invisible Snake]

Hi and welcome to the forum.