How many babies?

[paclc1]

I was curious as to which species of garter snake tend to give birth to the largest litters? I would also like some input from the breeders out there as to what the average sized litter is for the species of garter snake that they breed. thought it would be nice to compare notes from the various breeders as to average litter size

[Stefan-A]

Thamnophis radix and Thamnophis sirtalis (T. s. sirtalis and T. s. parietalis) tend to have the largest litters. If there's someone here with the Rossman et al book handy, there's a table of litter sizes in there somewhere.

[guidofatherof5]

My average Thamnophis radix litter is 25. The most I've every had was 29.
I believe Thamnophis sirtalis (Common Garter Snake), Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis(red-sided Garter Snake) and Thamnophis marcianus (checkered Garter snake) are capable of producing some pretty large groups. I think I've read T.sirtalis hold the official record of 85. I would have loved to be there for that birthing.

[gregmonsta]

By Rossman's table (these are wild averages) the high scorers in average litter sizes are -

sirtalis - 33 - Maryland
radix - 30 - Manitoba
gigas - 23 - California
cyrtopsis - 19 - Arizona
hammondii - 16 - California
marcianus - 15 - California

Just for the hell of ... an average for thamnophis on the whole from the table would be - 12
Sound about right?

[ssssnakeluvr]

from my experience, vagrans average 13, concinnus average 7-8. the largest litter was 92 from a sirtalis sirtalis, eastern garter.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I had a gigantic female eastern drop 47! 16 of them were stillborns, and there were some jellies too! Stillborns don't go to waste here, I keep them in the freezer and use them as food for my eastern milk snake and my legless lizard!

[Didymus20X6]

O_0

Somehow, that doesn't seem right. But waste not, want not, I guess. As long as we're not talking humans, I suppose.

[Stefan-A]

O_0

Somehow, that doesn't seem right. But waste not, want not, I guess. As long as we're not talking humans, I suppose.

Well, both can be donated to science. Help teach a new generation of doctors and vets.

I've got a couple of snakes in the freezer right now, waiting for a purpose.

[MasSalvaje]

I had a gigantic female eastern drop 47! 16 of them were stillborns, and there were some jellies too! Stillborns don't go to waste here, I keep them in the freezer and use them as food for my eastern milk snake and my legless lizard!

I just fed a still born that I had to one of my spiders!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Meh, I am not one to allow things to go to waste. Even if I have new hatchlings die shortly after birth, I feed them off. I would rather do it that way than just let their bodies rot away to a complete waste. Besides, it's a great way to vary No-feet's diet without actually killing anything!