First time snake owner...

[EasternGirl]

I have never owned a snake before...I found a baby garter in our basement, we get them all the time. Because it is so cold outside, I didn't have the heart to put him outside, so now he is our pet.

[EasternGirl]

As I posted earlier, I found what I believe to be a baby garter in my basement. I have been told he could simply be a male, as males do not get very big. My son named him "Bibur"...which is short for the Mexican word for small snake, "Bibura". He is very frightened and will not engage with us very much. Interestingly, he will come out if I call his name, but then he will hide once he sees me. He has not eaten anything I try to give him...waxworms, nightcrawlers, pinkies, guppies, rosies. He just crawls right over the food and ignores it. I have tried to make his home optimal...he has aspen bedding, a hide box, a little cave, some sticks to crawl on, a water dish, a heating pad under one side of the cage, and a basking lamp. I am wondering if I should just prepare him for brumation at this point. I have not tried to handle him much either, because he is so scared. I am also not sure what kind of garter he is...I will try to get a pic if he lets me! I live in Northern Delaware, if that helps. Advice anyone??? Thanks!

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard.

In case you're wondering why your post didn't show up, it's because new members' first few posts need to be approved before they're actually published. It's a way controlling spammers and trolls.

When did you find the snake? Has it had time to adjust itself to both captivity and higher temperatures?

Brumation may be an option. How cold does it get in your basement?

You can skip the wax worms; they're not garter food. Keeping handling to a minimum is a good idea for now. I also don't think the snake can actually hear you. In fact, none of them can. However, they do pick up on vibrations and movement. Even if it doesn't see you, it can easily pick up on your movements as you approach the enclosure.

[EasternGirl]

Hi...thanks for posting a reply. I found him about three weeks ago. He probably hasn't adjusted to captivity, as he is very skiddish at this point. He spends most of his time hiding and trying to escape. He does seem to like to come out and bask under his lamp some. My basement is unfinished and damp. It gets pretty cold. I have heard, though, that I can take the lamp and heat pad off and cover his cage for brumation. My house stays pretty warm though, so I don't know if that will be cold enough for him. He does seem to be curious of me....he pokes his head out and back into his bedding as if he is playing peek-a-boo! I just worry because he isn't eating.

[EasternGirl]

I managed to take a pic of my little guy....not a great one...but maybe someone can tell me what kind of garter he is?

[ConcinusMan]

Welcome to the forum. Judging from your location it is likely that you have a Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis (Eastern Garter Snake) but sometimes people come here that cannot seem to identify what type of garter they have, and it turns out that it isn't a garter but is a Dekay's snake instead. If that is what you have, then slugs would be the food item to offer them, and the snake would not like to be heated. It's worth a try to see if he'll eat slugs, even if he's a garter.

[guidofatherof5]

Nice to have you on the forum.
Here's a link to the care sheet:
If you can tell us what part(State) of the country you live in we maybe be able to guess what you have. Posting a photo would be even more helpful.
It's best to identify your snake first to make sure this care sheet applies.
Thanks for taking the time to be concern for the little one.
Once again, welcome.

Garter Snake Care Sheet - Caresheets

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Marnie

[Mommy2many]

Welcome to the forum!

[Stefan-A]

I managed to take a pic of my little guy....not a great one...but maybe someone can tell me what kind of garter he is?

Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis, also known as the eastern garter snake.