Care Sheet for Garter Snakes and Ribbon SnakesAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 3.80 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 08/26/2006 |
Main Category: | Snakes |
Sub Category: | Garter Snakes and Ribbon Snakes |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | TheKid |
Years Experience: | Under 1 Year |
Species: | Garter Snake |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | Ribbon Snakes |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Females Are Larger. |
Mostly Active During: | Day |
Substrate and Water Needs: | I recommend jungle mix or any type of aspen bedding. you could also use reptibark or bed-a-beast. which ever one works well. Just DON’T use cedar or pine as it is toxic to any type of snake. Also keep a water dish big enough for the snake to soak in. This is essential for shedding and also because garter snakes like to hang out in the water. |
Lighting and UVB: | Garter snakes don’t need UVB lighting. But they do like a regular day/night cycle so just have light shining in there cage during the day and no light at night time. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Keep the temperature around 85 Fahrenheit on the warm side and around 75 Fahrenheit on the cool side. |
Heating and Equipment: | I use an UTH (under tank heater) but u can also use a heat lamp. Don’t use a hot rock as it can cause serious burns to your snake or any reptile. Also you will need two hide spots for one on the warm side and one on the cool side. you can use a toilet paper roll or buy habba hut which is a half log or you can also buy a hiding cave. it doesn’t really matter as long as your snake can hide in it. Throw in some branches for climbing and some rough rocks so your snake can rub against it when it sheds. |
Caging Provided: | I would use a 10 gallon aquarium for a young garter snake and a 20 gallon for an adult. Be sure have a screen lid that fits good so it wont escape. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | You can feed your snake a variety of things. Such as fish, worms, and small mice. if you are going to feed your snake fish feed them rosy red minnows. feed it 15 of them every 5-6 days. Do not feed your snake goldfish because your snake will suffer from vitamin B1 deficiency. So if your going to feed fish feed minnows. The best thing you can feed your snake is pinkies (baby mice). however if your snake is too small for pinkies feed them minnows and when it gets big enough feed it pinkies. you can give your snake 1 pinkie every 7 days. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | If your snake eats pinkies you don’t need any supplements. if your snake eats fish give it an occasional worm dipped in some reptile vitamin powder. |
Maintenance: | Change water every day. Remove all soiled pieces of bedding and clean the whole cage every 2 months. |
Some Words on this Species: | Garter snakes are very easy to take care. they are also a good starter snake because they rarely bite and are gentle. They are also very cheap. You can get a garter snake for under $20 dollars. Just don’t handle them right after they eat. |
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