Care Sheet for Garter Snakes and Ribbon SnakesAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 3.64 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 06/03/2006 |
Main Category: | Snakes |
Sub Category: | Garter Snakes and Ribbon Snakes |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | TIMSNAKR |
Years Experience: | 5 to 10 Years |
Species: | Thamnophis Sirtalis Sirtalis (EASTERN GARTER SNAKE) |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | This care sheet will cover almost all of the garter and ribbon snake species in Eastern North America. |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Garter snakes are sexed by one of three methods:
By visual appearances - male snakes have a thicker tail base where the two hemipenis lie. This can be seen, even in juvenile garter snakes, with practice.
By probing - a surgical probe can be inserted into the vent on either side of the mid-line and gently moved pushed towards the tail. In a male, the probe inserts several scale-lengths inside the inverted hemipenis, whereas in females it will stop at around 2 or so scale-lengths. This technique should only be used by those experienced in the technique as it is easy to damage the snake.
By ’popping’ - this technique involves gently squeezing the tail base, with the result that in a male snake the inverted hemipenes are everted, and become visible as they ’pop out’.
This technique is only suitable for use on young snakes, and again should only be used by those experienced in the technique, as damage can easily be done
Eastern garter snakes are mainly Black with three yellow stripes going lengthwise to the ends of their tails. The stripes may sometimes be green or grey-blue also. Their bellies are also yellow. They tend to get between two to three and a half feet long and about three quarters of an inch in diameter. Around Lake Erie and on its islands there are populations of entirely black eastern garter snakes with white throats called melanistic garter snakes. I house two as pets and their names are Luna and Eclipse. |
Mostly Active During: | Day |
Substrate and Water Needs: | A variety of different substrates are available. Many keepers use newspaper or corrugated card, which is easy to maintain, and inexpensive, although less attractive, and I also find that nervous snakes do not like it, as it does not offer a good grip to the ventral scales, and so makes it hard for the snakes to move quickly. Newspaper or any other dry commercial bedding substance would suffice. It is important to avoid sand or particulate matter that might stick to the food and be accidentally ingested and it gets under the scales and irritates the snake.
Fresh drinking water at all times is essential. Garter snakes frequently defecate in their water. I change water every day even if apparently clean. Water bowls should be sturdy and deep enough not to evaporate quickly. |
Lighting and UVB: | Since garter snakes are diurnal they should have some form of lighting. If it is light in the day and dark in the night that would be fine but for heat and basking a 40 watt lamp places directly over the cage for 10-12 hours would be fine.
Garter snakes do not need UVB unless they are nocturnal. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | The ideal temperature for eastern garter snakes is in the 22-30°C range (about 70-85°F), but it’s important that the snake have the option of warming up and cooling off when it chooses. Create a temperature gradient by only heating one side of the cage.
30-50% will suffice for humidity. You can provide a "humid hide" though. This is usually a container with a hole cut in the side, large enough for the snake to squeeze in. Inside, place damp sphagnum moss. The snake will go in their before shedding, to loosen its skin. |
Heating and Equipment: | For me, I like to use a UTH (under-tank heater.) Make sure it covers at least one third of the bottom of your little critter’s home but do not let it cover more than half. You can also use heat tape. I have never used this so I do not know how to but it is mostly used by breeders who have rows of terrariums. Never use hot rocks. If there is only one warm place in the cage for the snake to go then it will go and press up against it and by doing this for an hour the snake gets burned by it. Plus they are very faulty. You can use a light but the light will spread out through the whole cage and raise temperatures on both sides. Otherwise I would recommend a 40 watt bulb. |
Caging Provided: | For one garter you can use a ten gallon but this limits their space and they would much rather prefer a twenty gallon. Do not make the cage larger than fifty gallons because the snake will be overwhelmed and will not feel secure. Put one hide on each side of the tank and if possible add climbing limbs even though they are not essential because garters are terrestrial meaning that they spend almost all of their time on the ground. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Unless you have a garter snake that eats mice, you must feed your garter snake a varied diet to ensure complete nutrition. Mice represent complete nutrition, but other foods are deficient in some way and must be fed in combination or supplemented to ensure a complete diet. A young garter snake that is not eating pinky mice or pinky parts may be fed a combination of earthworms (cut into appropriately sized pieces if the snake is small and the worm is big), feeder guppies or platies and, if the snake will accept it, pieces of fish fillet. Supplement the fish and worms occasionally. While this is a healthy diet for a garter snake, it does put the snake at risk of a parasitic infection that may be very hard to treat. Ideally, the snake should be converted to a mouse-based diet as soon as possible. Begin with pinky parts if the snake is too small for pinky mice; scent the mice to encourage the snake to feed if necessary. Once converted to mice, a garter snake should eat them most of the time; worms and fish can be optional treats, if you wish. If on worms feed three times a week. If on fish feed two times a week. If on mice feed once a week. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | If snake is on mice no supplements are needed. |
Maintenance: | Spot clean the cage every week. Replace water every two days. Replace substrate every month or so. |
Some Words on this Species: | Garter snakes are fairly cheap and easy to care for. They go at about 20$ each and melanistic ones go for about 50$ each. (See me if you want one for free in 2008.) They are probably one of the lowest maintenance snakes in the world (corn snakes are probably the lowest though.) |
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