Garter snake disposition

[confused]

Hi, I am caring for a garter snake which is my first experience with them. She has gone from almost affectionate (she would come to me when I put my hand in the enclosure and crawl into my hand and rub on me, really, I never had to initiate picking her up) to interpreting my skin as "bad". She won't crawl onto it for anything now,which is amusing if I pick her up with one glove on, she won't leave it, and tends to snap at me if I try to touch her. She's eating fine, seems to be healthy now, compared to when I first got her she has come miles. I probably am going to have to release her shortly, but I was interested in another garter, until this one decided it didn't like me anymore.

So I'm curious, how much does everyones snakes seem to "like" them? Are there tricks to taming them? Does everyone get bit time to time? Should I be so concerned about what the silly snakes feelings are towards me? For the first week or so I never tried to pick it up, it just came to me and crawled in my hand. I think it decided it didn't like me after I put it into some water to make sure mites were off, and when I picked her up my hands were wet and she couldn't move at all. She was stuck from friction. After that I had to pick her up on my own (gently of course), and now she just runs and bites.

[guidofatherof5]

Does she have mites? Water alone is not a cure.
I personally I think the snakes do get used to and trust us. I think that they look forward to seeing us and interacting with us. Much of this is in anticipation of food but I also have many snakes that will come out even after they are fed and will hangout on me.
I've had some pretty wild radixes and the best way to tame them was patients.
I think it's good for you to be concerned about their feeling towards you, it can only help you care for them better.

[confused]

Thanks for the info!

She has no sign of mites, nor has she ever, she just seemed very interested in rubbing on things, so to be safe, I gave her a 85 degree bath, she hated it. I don't think she is very fond of heat at all, possibly something she doesn't like about me handling her, I think it's kind of overwhelming to her, she never uses the heated area of the cage dark or light, and it's at 80 or so. Maybe I will cool her down a bit.....

[guidofatherof5]

Rubbing their faces after a meal or drinking is normal. Rubbing to get a shed started is also normal. In the absence of these 2 things they don't do a lot of rubbing, unless mites are involved. Is just the face being rubbed or does he/she dig places along her body onto the substrate.
If the rubbing continues you may need to buy some mite spray.
All snakes are intereted in heat. The 85 degree water may have been more of a shock to her. She may associate you picking her up with the water experience. Just my thoughts.

[GarterGeek]

Could she be having a difficult shed? If she's rubbing things, and getting irritable it may be a sign that she's ready to shed, but not accomplishing it...Did her eyes get blue a while ago?

Are you sure your snake is female? One of my male garters, who is generally very friendly, gets very aggressive and irritable when mating season comes around. Perhaps he (if it is a he) is just interested in breeding.

Snakes are very in tune to smell. If you've been using a different lotion, soap, or perfume, or have been handling food or glue your snake may be freaking about how you smell.

Just some ideas, I hope they're of some use to you.

[confused]

She only rubs her face and neck, and it's not that often, maybe twice a day that I see that aren't eating related. Once, when she realized I would scratch her chin, she kept moving back to my finger when I stopped and rubbing it herself until I started again.

She is not in shed, I know reptiles, her color is brilliant, I think she is just weird. She has way too much personality for a snake, and she seems obsessed with how objects feel. For instance, she got really excited when I gave her a log to play on, and ran circles for 30 minutes on it rubbing her face in the grooves. She didn't leave it for a week until I gave her a glove. Anything plush she LOVES. I can put my hand in a winter glove and she will still come over and crawl on it, her favorite thing now is to sleep in the glove. (which smells like me, I'd think she would like me). She will sleep in my hand if I wear a glove. Otherwise, she won't sit still for anything while I hold her. If I just hold the glove in my hand not on it, she will crawl into it and sleep. Actually, she does like me, she never runs from me unless I try to hold her, she will crawl all over the tank with my hands in it and come up to me.

Wow this thing has me typing a bunch.

I'm not sure its a female 100%, but all the charts I have seen made me think it was a she. I will try for a good stretched out pic, but she always is curled. She/he musked once with no one around on, wait for it, something plush. That kind of thing made me kind of think male behavior..... (I am a guy).

Please excuse my dirty fingers, I make a mess for a living.







Ok, maybe she is going into shed. That last latest pic does look suspicious. In person she has a bit of irridecent blue green to her that is not showing up.

[guidofatherof5]

Here's a link to a thread to help with sexing your snake. It will also help you with the needed photos for posting.
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/bree...tml#post112902

[confused]

Thanks! you guys make holding them still enough to sex look easy. My baby won't stop moving, thank goodness I have a very helpful girlfriend.

I'm normally not this ugly! (odd moment of snake juggling, unfortunately that's the best pic) Snake is cute though. Her name is sushi, as she seems to like fish over anything, I just got a pick of her ignoring a worm to doze on the glove.










notice the worm directly under her nose. She saw it, licked it, decided to take a nap. She also isn't nipping at me today at all. Back to her old self. Hmm. Sorry for so many photos! mods feel free to delete.

[guidofatherof5]

I think your third photo would have been the best in deciding a sex on this snake. If you could edit that photo and reduce the flash effect and then repost it, that would be great. If you want to send it to me and I'll edit for you, send it to guidofatherof5@cox.net From what I've seen I'm leaning towards female.
Leaning but not jumping If I'm wrong then I say it's a male.

[jitami]

I'm also leaning female... and she sounds like a pretty normal active busy garter girl. My guys don't sit still in my hands like say a ball python may. They're always moving through my hands... sometimes more vigorously than others, but rarely do they sit still for any length of time. I love how they have to explore anything new in their environment, too. Your girl certainly seems to enjoy that, too. Gotta love these active, curious, little guys.