Caught a garter, should I keep it?

[mr_Goodbomb]

I caught it outside my campus radio station, it was in the window trying to make it's way inside. I'm sure it woulda been killed pretty quick, so I took it home. I've tried to read up on keeping them, and I get some mixed messages. Some say they're easy to care for, others say they're difficult. My friend had a python that passed away, so I can use her enclosure and lamps and everything... I guess the deciding factor is whether or not I have to feed it mice. If I can get by with minnows and insects, I'm perfectly cool. I don't have the heart to feed an animal another animal (I've had a lot of feeder mice as pets, sort of a squishy spot for me). What do you guys think?

[garterchick]

hi, welcome to the forum.
garters are easy to keep, as far as reptiles go. having said that, they do have some specific requirements but if you can use your friend's snake set-up you have more than half the battle won.
as far as food is concerned, garters don't eat insects! minnows, nightcrawlers, strips of fish fillet, and yes, pinkies, are all excellent food choices.
i'm not the the expert, but i do have a few garters and enjoy them very much. i'm surprized you haven't received replies from the more accomplished garter keepers on the forum, but i'm sure you will. in the meantime, there's a care sheet with most the info you'll need to get started, i'll try to find the link to it.
General Garter Snake Care Sheet

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard.

[infernalis]

Welcome to the forum.

I say keep it, you can feed it worms and fish and minnows. Buy frozen pinkies, they are already dead and its a lot easier. (Trust me I breed mice)

Garters are fun and easy to keep, and they don't pass away as quick as a python if the temps are little off.

Can't hardly wait for pictures!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Yes, you can successfully keep a garter without feeding it mice, it's just not really the optimal thing to do when in captivity. Many garters in the wild rarely, if ever, dine on mice frequently. I am sure there are a lot of wild garters out there that have never had a mouse and never will.

Now, having said that, the ideal captive diet for a garter snake is a balanced diet of pinkies, safe fish, and earth worms/ night crawlers with an occasional vitamin supplement. I say ideal meaning it will provide your snake with the best possible nutrition you can give it.

In my earlier years when I was an amateur and a young teenager... I fed my garter snakes strictly worms and fish and they lived for a good bit that way, but you cannot use feeder goldfish as they contain an enzyme called thiaminase that is deadly to them in the long run. This is most likely the reason that the garters from my earlier years are all dead now. It's tought to say it, but it's the truth.

Feeder guppies, strips of trout, salmon, tilapia, and a good bit of fish that you could catch in a stream or lake (excluding catfish) are safe. Normally, I would say if you absolutley have NO method of fish other than rosy reds, you could use them, but since they contain a small amount of thiaminase as well.. too many in the diet can cause deficiencies and death as well, and since you will only be feeding fish and worms, this is really not a good idea in my opinion.

[Snake lover 3-25]

welcome to the forum

[jitami]

Welcome A diet of fish fillet, worms, safe(thiaminase free) live fish and a weekly dusting of a calcium suppliment should be fine. I can't believe no one else has said it, but we'd love to see pictures of your snake when you get a chance

[infernalis]

Tami - Read my post carefully, last line at the bottom

[jitami]

Oooppsss should have known we couldn't have that many posts without a picture request

[crzy_kevo]

welcome to the forum post some pics so we can tell you waht kind it is