View Full Version : Baby garter snakes anyone?
Day before yesterday, I got called to help a girl who wanted to know how to force feed a baby snake. I gave her the quick rundown on it, while she stood there looking slack jawed and slightly disgusted... So I proceeded to ask her why she wanted to know all of this and whats going on with her snake. She proceeded to tell me that her kingsnake and her boa mated and had babies. lol. It was hard keeping a straight face... She told me the babies just appeared in the cage 4 months ago, and they've been slowly dieing of starvation because they wouldn't eat the crickets she put in the cage. I asked if she was sure this was a kingsnake, and not something like a Garter snake, because kingsnakes do not just have babies, they lay eggs, and you'd see them if you'd cleaned the cage once in the 2 months it takes to incubate them. But she said no, it was a kingsnake. She apparently has this "kingsnake", a boa, a ball python and a cornsnake all living together in some large cage. And no, she didn't see a problem with it even when I informed her otherwise, according to her, they love eachother. *shakes head*
So anyway, I offered to take the remaining baby "kingsnakes" and get them to eat/find new homes... She said they'd never eaten in the 4 months since they appeared, and that out of 18 there was only a few left. Pretty sad... She did indeed come back the next day(yesterday).. Low and Behold, they are baby garter snakes...
So far they've all eaten at least 2-3 small earthworms each and will probably be just fine. They're all 6" long or under... Small guppies are another food option. If anyone wants one/all of these, let me know...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/blkkestrel/GarterBabiesGroup_3492.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/blkkestrel/GarterBabyBody_3503.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/blkkestrel/GarterBabyMacroNeck_3496.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/blkkestrel/GarterBabyMacro_3491.jpg
All I can say is, WOW.
Are the garters a native species by chance?
Some types of garters are? I've seen them out hiking.
All I can say is, WOW.
Are the garters a native species by chance?
ya they are very native i catch them alot = ]
not very handleable little buggers but very fun to watch = ]
hunterlight
11-09-2008, 12:45
Those are the nicest Boakings I've ever seen!!!! Great story :rolleyes:
Any idea what kind of garters? I've thought recently about setting up a semi aquatic tank for one someday.
Very nice pics as always :)
All I can say is, WOW.
Are the garters a native species by chance?
They look like Common garters, which are native to just about every state...
hawaiianice99
11-09-2008, 13:59
so a king snakeXboa makes garters!!
thats gonna be my next breeding project!!:D
That last picture is gorgeous. Hats off to the hardiness of her batch of snakes. Such diverse climate needs and not only are they still alive, they're creating new species :P.
You know those V8 commercials where the people not eating veggies get popped in the head????
Please tell me this woman hasn't been eating her veggies.
hehehe
.....She proceeded to tell me that her kingsnake and her boa mated and had babies.....
Unbelievable.
For those of you who are looking for a not-flashy but really fun display cage, Garters are easily the most entertaining snakes I've ever owned. They are diurnal and very active.
You know those V8 commercials where the people not eating veggies get popped in the head????
Please tell me this woman hasn't been eating her veggies.
Lol, PLease tell me that this woman has not brought any human children into this world!!! :eek:
Lol, PLease tell me that this woman has not brought any human children into this world!!! :eek:
The baby lives in the snake enclosure as well. ;)
The baby lives in the snake enclosure as well.
When it grows up shes hoping to get a new species by crossing it with the boa.
Brie, have you identified your garter species yet?
If they are a NW species and no one takes them, I'd be happy to release them for you here in my field. (South Seattle) I have an acre of blackberry wilderness that has never seen pesticides. I have a lot of garters, but mine are less checkered, darker, with a distinct stripe, so I don't know if they are the same. There's plenty of space though, so if yours are NW, this is an option.
Melissa_K
11-10-2008, 12:24
Guys I realize I'm not a mod but lets try to keep the insults to a minimum. What would happen if this woman ever stumbled upon us with the intention of trying to gain knowlege of her pets? These kinds of actions don't help our cause at all.
hawaiianice99
11-10-2008, 12:56
Guys I realize I'm not a mod but lets try to keep the insults to a minimum. What would happen if this woman ever stumbled upon us with the intention of trying to gain knowlege of her pets? These kinds of actions don't help our cause at all.
Thats true.
But seriously, a boaXking=garters. thats just asking for the dunce cap.
dalvers63
11-10-2008, 13:02
To me, it's no different than the woman I got my Glossy snake from, thinking it was a corn snake. Education is needed, and not anything else.
Cecila, I'd be cautious about releasing them into the wild, since they've been in captivity and obviously been kept with other snakes. The chance of disease, to me, is too great to let them go in the wild and I'd suggest against it.
Those look like Northwestern Garter snakes. :( Why do people not get educated before just picking up a snake and taking it home, I don't know.
Glad you got them.
I'm currently feeding my baby Eastern Garters earthworms, and they're doing just fine. I feel sorry for the snakes she's keeping together in the same tank, some people just don't get it.
Brie, have you identified your garter species yet?
If they are a NW species and no one takes them, I'd be happy to release them for you here in my field. (South Seattle) I have an acre of blackberry wilderness that has never seen pesticides. I have a lot of garters, but mine are less checkered, darker, with a distinct stripe, so I don't know if they are the same. There's plenty of space though, so if yours are NW, this is an option.
Well, i'm assuming that the mother of these was captured from the wild... Sounds like the ones you're describing are Northwestern garters. These appear to be just standard Common garters...
As for releasing them, I thought of that too, but i'm leary of releasing captive animals, especially when they were in a cage with several other species... You could unknowingly introduce any sort of bacterea or virus into the native population...
Those look like Northwestern Garter snakes. :( Why do people not get educated before just picking up a snake and taking it home, I don't know.
Glad you got them.
I'm currently feeding my baby Eastern Garters earthworms, and they're doing just fine. I feel sorry for the snakes she's keeping together in the same tank, some people just don't get it.
They're Common garters.. Northwesterns, even as babies have a pretty prominent dorsal stripe, and are usually darker. I've cought billions of NW garters on my ex's property, these look totally different..
Northwestern
http://www1.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/herp/photos/thor_a_2.jpg
http://www1.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/herp/photos/thor_a.jpg
Common(which can really look like anything I guess)
http://www.agfc.com/!userfiles/int_images/snakes/garter_big.jpg
Korn_4life
05-07-2009, 22:42
you sdtill have them, i would love to have 2
Yeah I'm kinda interested too...
Ravenwolf
05-08-2009, 22:13
I have two empty tanks up here in the ham, I can take them if you haven't found homes for them.
This post is from November!
This post is from November!
THAT IS FUNNY!!! I was thinking of throwing my name n the hat for one as well.
Bill
Korn_4life
05-10-2009, 04:18
i feel dumb lol im new to this so yea :P
i feel dumb lol im new to this so yea :P
It's an honest mistake. Don't let these guys make you feel dumb. ;)
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