Finally setting up a cohab garter tank!

After wanting to for a very long time, I'm finally in circumstances that allow me to add the final couple of snakes from my bucket list - one being a Dumeril's (haven't found one from a breeder I trust yet), and the other being a cohab setup with Garters. A couple of weeks ago I took the plunge with four baby female Oregon Red-Spotted Garters.

Maybe I'm biased because I've wanted to do it for so long, but I am so glad I did this! These little snakes are active all day long; they are curious and interact with the world and with each other constantly - they love to bask out in the open, and also love to swim and climb. I could pull up a chair in front of their enclosure and just watch them for hours. Right now they are just wee souls, so they are in a 20 gallon long. As adults they'll be in a 4x2x2 (or larger if needed). Three of the four little ladies are pictured below. I'll try to update with photos as I can - it's hard to get them to stay still!

I will say that even though I have a strong stomach thanks to years of work as a vet tech, and having grown up hunting and fishing, I still hate chopping up live nightcrawlers for these guys. So far they're not really interested in either salmon or tilapia, though I'll keep trying to offer garter-safe fish along with the worm bits. Next week I think I'll try chopping up frozen day-old pinkies and including them with the worms. I'm just hoping they eventually decide that they like to eat SOMETHING that doesn't involve massacring live nightcrawlers.

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...s_new_tank.jpg[/IMG]

I'd feel the same way about chopping up live worms...:O But those little snakes are adorable! So if ever there was a good cause...:gj:

It's never too early to add prepared pinkies to the feeding plate - most of my garters would be feeding solely on rodent within a couple weeks of birth. Prepare the pinks first(much easier to do when they're still frozen) and then chop up some smaller earthworms and throw them in the mix. The movement of the worm bits will draw their attention and once they start feeding, they usually just clean the plate. I'd feed every 2-3 days, reducing the amount of worm until nothing but prepared pinkies was offered.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John1982

It's never too early to add prepared pinkies to the feeding plate - most of my garters would be feeding solely on rodent within a couple weeks of birth. Prepare the pinks first(much easier to do when they're still frozen) and then chop up some smaller earthworms and throw them in the mix. The movement of the worm bits will draw their attention and once they start feeding, they usually just clean the plate. I'd feed every 2-3 days, reducing the amount of worm until nothing but prepared pinkies was offered.

---

Thanks so much for this. I'll add pinkies to their next meal tomorrow - and yes, I don't mind chopping up frozen pinkies at all. But I won't miss chopping up live Nightcrawlers! Like Bogertophis points out, it's definitely worth it for these adorable babies, but YUCK.

Victory! I mixed chopped pinkies in with their nightcrawler meal today, and all four little Garters dove right in, even ignoring some moving worm parts in favor of the pinkies. I've been watching carefully to be sure all four are getting food and that nobody is too shy to get their fair share. Luckily, everything is going well so far and all of them are able to get full tummies.

They are funny as heck when they eat. They usually just gather around the bowl together, but occasionally one will get super excited about a bit of food, grab it, lift the front half of their body entirely off the ground, and just FLY across the enclosure carrying their prize. You can almost see them thinking 'MINE MINE MINE' as they rush away.

Anyway, I am so relieved that they took the pinky parts. It not only means that I can see a future without chopping up live worms, but it's also more nutritious for them. And it's less cleanup for me; they digest nightcrawlers really fast, which means daily cleanup in an enclosure with four hungry little snakes in it.

Much to my relief, the little garters have graduated entirely to eating pinky parts and slivers of salmon, so both me and the nightcrawlers are grateful that I no longer have to chop up live worms.

Question: Do I need to be providing a vitamin and/or Calcium +D3 supplement? While that isn't the norm for other snakes, I see it mentioned frequently among garter keepers.

All four have great appetites, though one is just a tad smaller and a bit more shy than her siblings. I think I've found a solution by using two food bowls at opposite ends of the enclosure. That gives Miss Shy more opportunities to slip in and get her fair share.

They are endlessly entertaining. The photo below illustrates how there can be TWO bowls full of fresh food in front of them, but somehow whatever their sister is eating is the Most Interesting Thing. They seem to work it out within a few seconds, though - I continue to watch carefully at feeding time to be sure that their little tussles don't result in anyone being bullied away from food.

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...er_sisters.jpg[/IMG]