Hello everyone

[Thamnophis_Collector]

Hello everyone my names Fabian I'm from queens, ny. Garters have been my favorite reptile ever since I was a kid. I remember the first time I went to the pet store to check out the snakes. Was browsing all the enclosures, a milksnake coiled in the corner, a ball python in his hide, a few cornsnakes in there hide as well then I got to the eastern garter snake enclosure there were 4 of them one was trying to catch some fish from the water bowl 2 were climbing the branches and plants and the other was looking at me following my every move, I had to have one. I had a few as a teenager but my mom had a phobia of snakes so I could never even attempt to breed them. Now that I'm living on my own I'm I could actually keep a nice collection and breed them in a couple of years. I currently have a 0.1 granite checkered het albino, 1.0 albino checkered het granite, 1.1 ery/flame eastern and going to have a trio of red sideds coming soon when they are ready to be shipped. This site has already been helpful to me. Looking forward to learning new things about garters here and learning about breeding them.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Welcome!!!

[Ruth]

Hello and what a wonderful story. I got my first garter when I saw something a little different in a tub in the reptile shop. I had a little look at it and fell in love. The lady in the shop actually wasn't sure what it was as it had just come in and her hubby is the one who deals with the snakes. She rang him to check and I said I wanted one before I even knew exactly what it was and how much it was. They held onto her for me for two weeks so I could read up on them and get the home set up. She was an obscurus and I fell in love with her big eyes and jade coloured belly. Now I have three of them as well as a florida blue

[guidofatherof5]

Nice to have you with us.

[indigoman]

Welcome aboard!

[chris-uk]

Welcome aboard.

[Thamnophis_Collector]

Thanks everyone, and Ruth yes they're definetly different than other snakes, I love their curious and active nature they're always doing something when they're not sleeping. Nice story similar to mine . I wish other reptile keepers had the same view as us but sadly garters get ignord by most of the reptile community and its a shame. It's pretty cool though that we have our own forum now, back then there was only kingsnake and it was barely active

[mikem]

Welcome!

[Eddie]

In 1976 I saw my first garters in a pet store in LI NY. A female eastern just had babies and the guy at the store said I could have one if my mother said it was ok. Of course she said no and we went home. I told my friend about what happened and his mother took him to the store and he got one! I was crushed! That started my obsession with garters and my favorite snake ever since. I often wonder if my mother let me get that snake and it died quickly because I had no idea how to care for it if I would have ever been this obsessed.
I guess i'll never know. LOL
Ed

[Thamnophis_Collector]

It's always the moms right lol, my father never cared. Your from long island cool its right next to queens. What type of garters do you keep?