Care Sheet for Garter Snakes and Ribbon SnakesAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 4.62 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 02/28/2003 |
Main Category: | Snakes |
Sub Category: | Garter Snakes and Ribbon Snakes |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Eyespy |
Years Experience: | Over 20 Years |
Species: | Garter and Ribbon Snakes |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | All Thamnophis species and sub-species |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Typical for snakes, an experienced eye can see a longer and more tapered tail below the vent while females have a shorter and stubbier tail. Probing or popping may also be done by those with experience. |
Mostly Active During: | Day |
Substrate and Water Needs: | A large bowl of fresh water is a must! Garters swim and fish in their dishes and the entire snake must be able to fit comfortably in its water bowl. Newspaper, organic topsoil (no fertilizers, vermiculite, styrofoam or chemicals), coconut husk, cypress mulch or aspen bark. Garters enjoy crawling under dried leaves, keep well away from water bowl to prevent mold if they are used. When particulate substrates are used, consider feeding in a separate enclosure to avoid ingestion and impaction of the substrate. |
Lighting and UVB: | UVB not necessary but may be beneficial to neonates or sick snakes. 10 to 14 hours of light is essential for proper day/night cycle and provides a good basking area. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Garters are tolerant of a wide variety of temps and can tolerate fairly wide variances in humidity. No humid hide is necessary if a sufficiently large water bowl is provided.
A cool side of 68-72 and basking area of 82-87 degrees is ideal. |
Heating and Equipment: | Undertank heat mat or heat tape, basking spot lamp, branches for climbing, a hide on both cool and warm sides, and non-toxic plants if desired. |
Caging Provided: | Garters are active snakes, I prefer to house them in glass tanks so that I can watch them fishing and climbing. A 20 gallon long is a nice size for an adult garter. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Mice, fish-live, fresh fillets or frozen/thawed, earthworms, nightcrawlers, crawfish tails and even canned fish or cat food are readily accepted by most garters. Neonates will often eat pinkie parts mixed in with a dish of chopped worms. They also do quite well on guppies. Ribbons tend not to accept rodents or worms easily but some may be coaxed with prey items that are first scented with fish. There is also a commercial frozen food called Garter Grub, made by T-Rex. Garters are active snakes that eat low-fat food items and need to be fed often, up to 4 times weekly. If your snake is eating whole mice it may be fed just once a week. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | Thiamine deficiency can be a real problem for snakes on a fish-only diet. Frozen fish or fish containing an enzyme called thiaminase can lead to stargazing syndrome, a neurological disorder caused by a lack of vitamin B1. A vitamin supplement containing thiamine should be offered weekly when feeding these items. Thiaminase can be found in goldfish, mackerel, herring, and many of the carp family. Fathead minnows, often called rosy reds or tuffies contain small amounts of thiaminase. Guppies are an excellent fish for neonates to eat as they do not contain thiaminase and are quite inexpensive.
Snakes that eat whole fish or mice do not need calcium supplements. Sprinkle a little calcium powder on filleted or canned fish or worms once weekly. |
Maintenance: | A winter hibernation is recommended if you are planning to breed your snakes, otherwise it is not necessary. Garters have live births and so gravid snakes must be watched carefully as they may eat the neonates. |
Some Words on this Species: | Many people consider garters to be junk or starter snakes because they are easy to catch in the wild, are inexpensive and small in size. However, there are many beautiful morphs available and garters are among the most active of all snakes. Even seasoned herpers often enjoy watching them go fishing for their dinners. |
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