I have found out that an abandoned barn behind our house has become a breeding ground for garters. We ust have seen ten so far today; one huge female and a bunch of her babies that were sized about 6 iches long, which means that they were last year's brood. We found a huge 3-foot+ female today who was really mad at us capturing her (temporarily) and was striking like the ****ens at us. She tagged my boyfriend, but it was a minor bite. The amazing thing is, she was so flattened out, trying to look big and bad!
I love garters. I would never want to keep them indoors when I can just go out in the yard and watch them in their natural habitat.
I was unable to get a pic because of the inevitable dead camera battery; but the female looked just like this: