Care Sheet for Garter Snakes and Ribbon SnakesAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 3.86 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 09/17/2006 |
Main Category: | Snakes |
Sub Category: | Garter Snakes and Ribbon Snakes |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Elliot |
Years Experience: | 3 to 5 Years |
Species: | Ribbon Snakes |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | Garter Snakes |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Males will usually have a long, slowly tapering tail, and females will usually have a shorter stubbier tail. The best way to tell is to get the snake popped or probed. |
Mostly Active During: | Day |
Substrate and Water Needs: | For substrates, you can use: reptile bark, aspen, reptile carpet, indoor/outdoor carpet, and newspaper. Do not use cedar or pine, they are toxic to snakes. For water, you will need a large water bowl that the snake can submerge in when hunting or shedding or just swimming and drinking. |
Lighting and UVB: | UVB isn’t necessary, but it is beneficial to your snakes health. Don’t use a very bright light on the enclosure. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | I like to keep the temperatures in the mid 80s and I haven’t noticed a difference when its humid in the tank or not humid. |
Heating and Equipment: | For heating, you can use a heat lamp or an under tank heater. Make sure the temperatures never get above 90 degrees, and never use heat rocks. |
Caging Provided: | A 20 gallon long tank is what you want to get. The snakes will use all of this space, especially if you put some branches and plants and other things for it to climb on in the tank. You will need a hide on the hot side and a hide on the cool side, and a really big water dish. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | The best food is pinkie or fuzzy mice. They will provide all the necessary nutrition for your snake and you will only need to feed it every 4-8 days. You can also feed some garters earthworms. Do not get red wigglers and do not get the worms from an area with pesticides. Rosie reds are the best fish to feed, but you will need to vary its diet so it will not get malnutrition. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | With mice, none.
With worms, calcium powder.
With fish, a complete vitamin spray and a varied diet. |
Maintenance: | Make sure the water is clean and plentiful at all times, and spot clean the cage regularly. Clean everything in the cage every 2 weeks or so. |
Some Words on this Species: | A very entertaining small snake. They are very active and have a varied diet. Make sure they have a lot of space, and they’ll be fine. |
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