Garter Snakes

[Chris Steele]

How long does it take garter snakes to have babies once they are bred?

[Oliverian]

They usually breed in the spring after hibernation and have babies in july-august. (I think thats what it is, you might want to check out some good garter sites like http://www.gartersnake.co.uk/ . Thats my favorite.

[Lisa]

My favourite care sheet (short of buying a book) is at http://mcwetboy.com/gartercare/gartercare.pdf

[BWSmith]

i dont know the answer, but the rescue female I removed from someones yard dropped 29 babies last night. Ya want a dozen or so? :)

[Chris Steele]

congratulations...but only if they were free haha....Do you take calls and remove snakes from around homes? I have been thinking of it. I am 15 but dont know how to get started. Do you charge them to do it?

[SCReptiles]

rescue female I removed from someones yard dropped 29 babies last night

Don’t you have a coral snake? =)

[The_Omen]

Don’t you have a coral snake? =)

And a king or two I think :)

[fatboy]

Some do charge but I do not. I add all of my "rescues" to my collection or to someone elses collection. I don't advertise so most of my calls come from friends and family. Best thing to get started is good equipment such as tongs from Midwest (www.tongs.com).

[BWSmith]

but only if they were free haha
Ya mean there are people that pay for garters? I'd be rich!

Don’t you have a coral snake? =)
I offered the Coral one and he had not eaten it as of last night. Corals generally don't like Garters or Water Snakes. Now if it was baby Corns, my Coral would be in hog heaven right now. One of the Scarlet Kings went after one though so I am hoping he likes them.

Luckily, the female is still is quarentine, thus the babies were in quarentine and still are. So the chance of pathogens is very small and she was removed within 10 miles of my house. So I feel safe releasing them if need be. Already let half a dozen loose at my pond last night. ;)

[SCReptiles]

One of the Scarlet Kings went after one though so I am hoping he likes them.

I have a scarlet as well, mail me a couple. =)

[Vanan]

GRRR!!!

[BWSmith]

I know Vanan, that is the problem with keeping species that have a non-rodent diet. You shoul see the array of specialized food items I have in my freezer, from rabbits, Chipmunks, quail, lizards, frogs, snakes, fish. Gets frustrating sometimes. But it is a nice challenge.

[Vanan]

I guess it would be. But then again you don't go to someone who owns a pet rat and say that it'd make good snake food. I mean if we're talking of snakes as food, that's fine.

It just gets my guile sometimes cos there was alot of idiots who were venomous-trotting, testosterone packed, insensitive idiots on "the other site" and now it's made me more sensitive. Plus I happen to like garters too.

Don't get me wrong. I do understand about the need to feed such prey, but boasting about it seems uncalled for. Again I'm not directly attacking you guys but I've been made sore by others. :)

BTW, you mentioned that natricines aren't taken as well as corns. What dya think the reason could be? Just prey they're more imprinted upon? Or could be that corals can't handle that nasty musk?

[BWSmith]

I am kindof a pradox Vanan. The female I kept for education, and really like the girl. But when a Scarlet king goes off feed for 2 months and baby garters are born in the next cage, sucks to be a baby garter. 6 have already been released at my pond, 2 have been fed off, one I am keeping to raise up. It is the same way I have a Cornsnake that I love, but I have to feed babies to the Coral. But my offer was serious if anyone wants baby Garters.

idiots who were venomous-trotting, testosterone packed, insensitive idiots on "the other site"
Glad I never really posted there :)

but boasting about it seems uncalled for
I didn't think there was any boasting there. Of course if this picky Coral does like them, I will be very happy.

And regarding Corals, oddly enough, I was just talking to Dr. Patterson today about that. He has heard that it has to do with the relatively bony structure of garters and waters. Others think it is because of the heavy musk. I know that they have an anticoagulant in their saliva, maybe there is a chemical reason. baby ratsnakes and dekayi are definately favorites though. If they would take Ringnecks, i would be all set, but they are toxic.

Coincidently, the Scarlet that took one, I am donating to a Nature Center so it looks like most will be released. Particularly since in GA you have to have permits to keep Eastern Garters and only 2 at that. So I have to figure out something quickly. I like staying by the letter of the law.

[Vanan]

That's cool to hear.

Hmm too bony eh. Not many dekay's around you I presume?

[BWSmith]

There are tons of Dekays, but we have been in a state of constan flood conditions, and i can't find any"Worm Eaters" right now. I think I flipped enough rocks to fill a stadium and all I found was a couple leaches :(

[Vanan]

The Dekay's DO feed on leeches though, right?

[crimsonking]

BW. I fed corals ringnecks all the time! I had one or 2 that preferred them over all other prey. Funny thing though, I have never had a scarlet king take one! Once had a ringneck nearly kill my Cal. king when he clamped down on her (where tongue is located) and would not let go. Don't know about all the "toxic" jazz of the ringnecks. It seems some snakes are able to handle it and some are not. Better safe than sorry, but I have no real proof (ie. a snake death from eating a ring neck) although others may have. Trying out the exotic Brahminy blind snake as a food source for stubborn sk babies, but the blind snake I found today is nearly as big as the neonate scarlet kings!
:Mark

[Vanan]

lol! That's crazy that a brahminy blind snake would be bigger than them scarlets!

[BWSmith]

One of my corals I had for almost a year feeding it dekayi and baby corns. I tried feeding him a ringneck and the next morning, he had regurged and died. The same thing happened to Delton Hilliard who had his coral for a little over a decade.

BTW, the Garter and Coral are friends now I think. They were hanging out together on top of the log. :rolleyes:

[Chris Steele]

So you guys rescue snakes? I want to do this too. I dont know how to get started and how to let everybody in the county know to call me instead of kill snakes around their houses. It would be fun to do, plus It will be saving countless snakes. Around here, sadly anything that isn't a black snake is a copper head....atleast to the people here it is....Most of the people here even kill the snakes if they know its not poisonous. Someone up the road just killed 3 snakes a few days ago and she knows I am into snakes. I really hate it when people do that, Tell me how you guys get people to call you to "get rid of" (rescue) snakes.

[Vanan]

Word of mouth. If you show people that you're a responsible and caring herper, they'll remember you and when they encounter a snake they'll probably think of calling you.

Word of caution when doing rescues. Be over prepared! Expect the worst. Have a good herp vet on hand and lots of money. The snakes you get are probably gonna be a lil "messed up" after going through a lawn mower, weedcutter etc. And never NEVER take on more than you can handle. Start a network if possible. So that if you alone can't handle a certain situation (or a high volume of snakes) you have another herper who can lighten your load.

Good luck. It's a noble thought you have, but make sure you do it right. :)

[Zoe]

It would be fun to do

Great idea, Chris! But you shouldn't see this as a rosy glowing way of saving all these snakes. While you are helping them, you will also them suffer, and sometimes die, and sometimes you will be stuck with them forever.

It's a great, I mean not being an official rescue, but taking on what you can when people let you know about the snake. Just making sure you aren't getting into something you aren't seeing the negative side of :)

Zoe

[BWSmith]

Nature Centers refer most to me. But doing rescues, as Zoe said, have extra freezer space for the unlucky ones.