Photos of Oregon Red-spotted, Almost

[Ameron]

(Oops! Just notified by system that my photo is too large. Don't know how to quickly size down the photo, will need to post it later. It shows my Red-spotted & Northwestern cousins snuggling together on their basking ledge.)

I have a digital camera, but it's very difficult photographing in the vivarium with the glare. Since my two Garters are WC, I'm not yet to the stage of photo sessions outside their biome.

Within 2 days, my Northwestern was eating pinkies & worms. He has a VERY friendly nature & disposition, and likes to watch me at the computer.

Within 5 days, my Red-spotted was eating frogs. He is more independent & spirited, and an exceptionally patient, swift & accurate hunter, but is slowly warming. My movement next to their biome don't usually alarm them; sometimes I can even stick my hand in the vivarium and they only slightly budge.

Very animated, great fun, very hardy. Ironic that I spent so many years with exotics, then Kingsnakes, only to find the ideal snake companion in my local Garter species! Ah, the irony & paradox...

Ameron
Portland, OR

[ScimitarX]

Glad you are enjoying them and that they are settling in well for you.

[enigma200316]

glad to hear your having fun, for if you wearn't there would be no need to keep them, I was kinda the same way didn't know the veriety of garters and how kool they are to have, I'm glad I found this site and began to keep them.......................

[Sid]

Glad to hear your Garters have settled in well. one word of caution about feeding frogs. One now and then is OK, but they are awful to have parasites and can harm your snakes if fed too often.

[enigma200316]

now heres my question: why is it that, like every natrual food source are Garters would eat in the wild and be fine with, is a thing that in captivity is some thing that should be watched because of (parasites or thiamin) so on and so forth???? sorry guys just had to ask......

[adamanteus]

Justin, most wild animals carry parasites, this is normal and managable for the animal. However, in captivity parasitic loads can spiral beyond what the animal can cope with, this coupled with the added stress of a captive environment can be very dangerous. For this reason alone many people avoid using any wild-caught prey animal. Personally, I use amphibians as part of my Garters' diet throughout the Spring and Summer, but I'm unusual in this choice.

[enigma200316]

Thanks James and anyone else who wants to answer as well, I thought it sounded a little weird, but understand exactly what your saying.......

[Serpentine99]

What I don't get is what you mean by the added stress of a captive environment. If they are settled in how does parasites affect them differently?

[adamanteus]

Believe it or not, they don't want to be captive...... Watch the increase in their rate of breathing when you approach. Garters survive well in captivity, but they don't choose it. They are adaptable and (for a snake) intelligent, and they soon learn to associate you with feeding, but given they slightest opportunity, they escape.

Also, in the wild parasites are frequently passed in the faeces and the snakes move away leaving the parasites behind. In captivity the snake remains in close proximity to it's own faeces and the parasites can re-enter the snakes body, so the parasitic load can easily become higher in captivity.

[Lori P]

James said it well. In the wild, animals tend to wander large areas and are able to pick and choose not only thier diet but are able to move away from where they defecate. In captivity, they are confined and live in the same area that they eat and defecate in.

Consider wild horses; they live their lives without ever being dewormed. Try that with a captive horse, and he will succumb to parasite overload in no time. Because he is pastured and forced to graze the same land over and over, the same land that he passes worms onto, he will constantly re-infecet himself. And as soon as his system is stressed, his immune system drops and the parasites thrive.