My first colubrid:-)

After a trip to my local reptile store to look at the monitor lizards I have come home with this awesome little garter snake.
I've been researching colubrid and held a Mandarin rat snake but I couldn't warrant the £200 asking price, I then saw this little shoe lace.
These are so awesome in person, pics just don't do them justice...
I was warned he is tiny and on fish still at only 7"ish, I couldn't resist, I thought I would attempt to feed when I got home so defrosted a whole silverside fish that I had in the freezer and sliced a piece off. I waved it over him and he didn't seem interested so I floated it in his bowl as advised.
I had read worms are in their diet to so grabbed a worm from our garden and washed it off then tossed it in the bowl too.
I'm luck to have wandered back by the tank 10min later, I caught him grabbing the fish and chucking it from the water bowl lol, then he grabbed the worm and swallowed it down lol!!?
He carried the fish about a bit afterwards, maybe he will eat that later haha...

I'm so happy with him, or her? Any ideas for a unisex name for the little dude/dudette?
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1906/...eb164c95_c.jpg
2018-10-27_02-42-53 by Justin Phillips - Flickr2BBcode LITE

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1967/...637dc55f_c.jpg
2018-10-27_02-43-04 by Justin Phillips - Flickr2BBcode LITE

Hopefully one day s-he can be this big;-)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1974/...b362c07e_c.jpg
2018-10-27_03-00-16 by Justin Phillips - Flickr2BBcode LITE

What is wrong with Flickr lately grrr

Click on the date below the pic and it should load up...

Looks like a pretty checkered Garter. When he gets a little older, it’ll be easy to tell if it’s a boy or girl based on the tail. If he takes silversides, I’d keep giving him those. You can transition him to pinkies and he will grow fast (cut them up for him since he’s so small). You may have to mix the fish in with the mouse since they are very keen on scent.

Night crawlers are good; avoid red wigglers as they are considered toxic. Not sure what worms you have in your garden, but should probably be avoided anyways since they can have parasites.

Congrats. Garters are fun to watch and are active during the day. Their musk stinks, but they typically calm down with age.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks pal, I will avoid garden worms then, not sure if we have red wrigglers here in the uk? Hopefully he is ok? Was only a little one.
I was drawn to them as I'd like to do a display tank with live plants and it was amazing luck to see one in a local store.
I've not seen them for sale around here before.
So glad I bit the bullet and brought him home, gonna set a nice display up on top of the boa tanks once he has some size.
So do males have longer or shorter tails?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Justin83

Thanks pal, I will avoid garden worms then, not sure if we have red wrigglers here in the uk? Hopefully he is ok? Was only a little one.
I was drawn to them as I'd like to do a display tank with live plants and it was amazing luck to see one in a local store.
I've not seen them for sale around here before.
So glad I bit the bullet and brought him home, gonna set a nice display up on top of the boa tanks once he has some size.
So do males have longer or shorter tails?

---

It’s more about the taper past the cloaca. The males hemipenes cause a bulge which prevents the tale from tapering down.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0985c0bccc.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...afd5b017c5.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c07161e75b.jpg

It’s not always obvious, but you can typically see the difference easily when they’re a little older.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think they’re great for display tanks since they are usually very curious and will come up to the front to watch you. They also enjoy basking.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's great, cheers. Have you kept many? Got any ATM? I'm guessing 2.5' is average Max size? 3.5' very rare I assume?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Justin83

That's great, cheers. Have you kept many? Got any ATM? I'm guessing 2.5' is average Max size? 3.5' very rare I assume?

---

3.5’ is a big Garter and most likely female. Males are shorter and not as thick. I currently keep some checkereds, wandering, Santa Cruz and a red-sided Garter.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...2a4bce7b5f.jpg
Albino Checkered

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...dbb91db6b0.jpg
Wandering Garter

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7259440254.jpg
Wandering Garter

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...5349154610.jpg
Santa Cruz

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...cacbda3fb6.jpg
Red Sided Garter


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Those are some very nice garters you have, BPGator! thanks for sharing both knowledge & pics...I've kept many colubrids so this post caught my eye, but I
have no experience with garters, other than in my yard, lol. I do love the more active snakes...

+1 great snakes.
To us in the uk garters are a bit more exotic but I guess to you lot they are in ya yards lol... I love their head shapes, we have a similar native called the grass snake over here.

Yours is very beautiful, by the way. He's SO colorful...I'll let you know if I think of any uni-names.

Thanks... I'm leaning "shiver" atm, what you think?

That works & it's unique (I like it)...and he won't care (or hear it) either way...;)

Very cool new addition. I had a wild caught garter snake for a while. My brother brought him to me in a bucket back when he did landscaping work, found him in a mulch pile. The customer did not want the snake around. I kept him until it warmed up and then turned him loose. I fed a mix of feeder fish and earthworms. He was a fantastic eater, adjusted to his temporary captivity well, and went back into the wild well fed for spring.

That's cool. They are awesome little feeders, he ate as soon as he was home... It's the throwing the piece of fish out his bowl that done me lol.... Never seen a snake move something with his mouth before.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1950/...a00884fa_c.jpg
2018-10-28_07-31-08 by Justin Phillips - Flickr2BBcode LITE

2018-10-28_07-31-08 by Justin Phillips - Flickr2BBcode LITE

https://i.imgur.com/KQi8YHd.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/KQi8YHd.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mbB9HLM.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/pTFcWc2.jpg

Eating fish 10min after entering his new home, love this little dude lol...:-)

https://i.imgur.com/HdAb9Dd.jpg
Fits in well...

What a darling! I recently got my first colubrid as well and am definitely warming up to them! Love how yours is a fisher! Seeing the little one carry off a big fish is absolutely adorable!

Such an underated species, alot of people feed them while they are holding them, they just gently take the food from ya fingers.

Name change after a discussion with my pal, my other two snakes are marvel character...
He is now "Groot" :-)

Tiniest she'd I've ever seen! Still doing well, feeding well.
I will try him on rat and mouse parts soon.

This is just awesome. Yummmmmm fish. LOL. Congratulations.

I'm pretty sure Albino Checkered Garters have sight issues :)
I've got a video of the three sisters ... each with their jaws latched onto the saucer holding the fish pieces :)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0982514eb2.png


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Share please:-)
They are odd arnt they lol... Act more like lizards dont they.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zincubus

I'm pretty sure Albino Checkered Garters have sight issues :)
I've got a video of the three sisters ... each with their jaws latched onto the saucer holding the fish pieces :)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0982514eb2.png


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

---

Mine have no issues striking food but they are more nocturnal than my non-albino Garters.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I Love You Groot!!!!!!! Congrats on your newbie...But i dont know about feeding the worms from your garden. I would think they might carry parasites or other diseases. But then again, if these guys were out in the wild they would eat whatever they could find! I am just being cautious I guess :)

Yeah, garden worms are off the menu now, next task is mouse parts:-)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Justin83

Yeah, garden worms are off the menu now, next task is mouse parts:-)

---

I used garden worms for mine with no issues then in winter I bought worms online ..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I think groots a girl hmm.
Female marvel names anyone?

Maybe domino? She is spotty wyt?