Pet Garter Snake

Oscuro_Sol · Post by **Oscuro_Sol** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 11:28 am

I'm looking into purchasing a garter snake.

I found a bunch of websites, but I wanted to hear what it was like to own one from different point of views from people with experience with them.

Has anyone owned a garter?

Magrus · Post by **Magrus** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 11:31 am

Umm, no. One of my ex's owned some sort of python that used to hide down her shirt. I've no clue what it was though, all it was to me was a snake that got in my way.

I did see one at the pet store I visited about an hour or so ago. Cute little things.

Maybe you should call a pet store?

Oscuro_Sol · Post by **Oscuro_Sol** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 11:32 am

Yes, I know about what the eat etc... but I wanted to know what experiences people have had with them.

ch85us2001 · Post by **ch85us2001** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 11:36 am

Um . . . one ate my chiuahua? No but I knew somebody that carried one in his pocket.

Denethorn · Post by **Denethorn** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 12:04 pm

Seems impossible to get a reasonable answer on SYM

Nar · Post by **Nar** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 12:25 pm

What kind of garter snake do you want? There seems to be quite many of them: http://www.gartersnake.co.uk/mycollection.htm

Maybe a pair of black and white like Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis + Thamnophis sirtalis -albino. Personally, I never had enything to do with them, but that's an interesting idea

.

Lestat · Post by **Lestat** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 12:27 pm

Now this is one of those animals I can't stop from wondering how it's got its name... Snakes for garters anyone?

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 12:29 pm

[QUOTE=Denethorn]Seems impossible to get a reasonable answer on SYM

[/QUOTE]

You expected any less?

@ Oscuro,
I always wanted to get a garter snake or tarantula when I was a kid, but for some odd reason my parents were less than enthusiastic about the idea.

And once I moved out, it was just impractical... Now.. well my cats would eat them

Why not try hunting around on Google, key in something like "garter snake+pet," and see what turns up. Good Luck!

@Lestat,

The mind just wanders with that one

Chanak · Post by **Chanak** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 6:03 pm

A garter snake is like any other snake in behavior and habits. Snakes are relatively docile by nature and easy to care for. Since you know what they eat, one obstacle is out of the way. I've kept a few reptiles before and so have some friends of mine. Tips for their comfort (and safety):

1: Use a heat lamp, not a hot rock. Monitor room temperature. 78 - 85 degrees fahrenheit is a good temperature range. Put an aquarium thermometer on the outside of their terrarium and keep an eye on it.
2: Keep fresh water available. For a snake, a shallow pan or dish full of water is a good choice.
3. Once a day, apply moisture to the reptile's skin. A fine misting bottle (the kind used for plants) works great.
4. Garter snakes, when stressed, can release a foul smelling, greasy substance. So, try not to stress the snake if at all possible.
5. Remove fecal material from the terrarium as soon as you see it (or smell it

).
6. Examine the reptile closely from time to time, paying particular attention to region of the head and colaca (where the anus is located). Look for mites, crusting, contusions, or anything else unusual. With a reptile, prevention or catching a problem early is about the only way to keep them healthy. They don't have a good track record of surviving illnesses and infections.

Snakes make pretty cool pets. When you raise them from hatchlings, they don't mind being handled by others and are surprisingly calm. They usually like to coil around your hand or arm. The biggest downside to keeping a snake (and any other carnivorous reptile, for that matter): their doo-doo smells awful. Yecccch.

Keep an iguana. They're vegetarians and make little cow-patties.

(I've also heard that iguanas don't taste like chicken)

Chanak · Post by **Chanak** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 6:07 pm

[QUOTE=dragon wench]I always wanted to get a garter snake or tarantula when I was a kid, but for some odd reason my parents were less than enthusiastic about the idea.

[/QUOTE]

My mother was always terrified of snakes and lizards. So, one day, I introduced her to the iguana I kept for a time. By the end of the week, she thought it was "cute."

Oscuro_Sol · Post by **Oscuro_Sol** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 6:47 pm

Thanks Chanak, lots of useful info there that I didn't know of.

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 7:43 am

[QUOTE=Oscuro_Sol]Has anyone owned a garter?[/QUOTE]

No, but at uni I had a classmate who was a herpetologist, ie an expert on snakes. He said that the garter snake was one of the most suitable beginner snakes you can find, they are easy to take care of and they are usually not at all aggressive.