How do you take care of a garder snake?

Question

How do you take care of a garder snake?

Answer 1

Get a large tank 30 or 40 gal a LOT of hide spots a deep water bowl that is flush with the floor of the cage.

I  use topsoil in my cages when i get garter snakes and DeKays snakes , I like to place earth worms in the cages at night , enough for the snakes to eat in  approx a weeks time . So I don't have to disturb the snakes and stress them out any more then I have to I also like to put in some  small plants in the tank so the animals feel like they are still outside living in the wild

Answer 2

I assume you meant garter

http://www.ehow.com/how_2093189_keep-pet...

Answer 3

if you caught it from the wild, you don't take care of it, you set it free where you got it.

as it WILL not live in captivity it will stress itself to death, not to mention the numerous possible diseases it could have.

if you bought it from a pet store, take it back, as they most likely caught it also.

if you bought it from a breeder, you can get some info here;

http://www.gartersnake.info/care/

good luck!

Answer 4

Garter Snakes

An overview of their natural history and care in captivity.

Natural History

Garter snakes (genus Thamnophis) are one of the most common of snakes. Found in a variety of habitats, they are often the first snake a youngster sees and catches. Varying according to species, garters are generally striped against a plain or checkered background color. Often delicately or subtly colored, even those with vivid red or yellow stripes or yellow ventral scales are quick to blend in with their background in the wild. Living between 3 to 10 years in captivity, these snakes generally do not grow to any great size, reaching about three feet with a very narrow girth. (Click here for information on the natural history of garters in general and the plight of the endangered San Francisco garter in particular.)

Garters rely primarily upon sight when hunting, "hearing" (sensing ground vibrations), taste and smell, the latter two combined in use with the Jacobson's organ located in the in roof of the mouth. They are quite agile, a trait which also enables them to successfully capture prey. They encounter their prey while moving through their territory during the cooler parts of the day--early morning, late afternoon and early evening.

Thamnophis are generally opportunistic in their choice of prey, a factor in the survival of populations and their occupation of a variety of habitats. Knowing type of garter snake and in what type of which habitat it is found is essential in setting up a proper captive environment. Wild garter diets range from aquatic invertebrates to young vertebrates such as amphibians, birds and mammals. Many species "specialize" in a few prey items, eating the others as they are available or if their usually prey can't be found. Aquatic garters (such as T. couchi) feed primarily on leeches, small (freshwater) fish, aquatic snails and other aquatic invertebrates, amphibian larvae, small frogs and salamanders. Larger species (such as the T. c. gigas) may also snag a fledging waterfowl. Once stuck, the prey is swallowed alive. Large prey may be pushed against a rock to anchor it in place while the snake works its jaws around it. Garters rarely constrict their prey, instead stunning or killing it before eating.

Garters, due to their small size, are quick to heat up and cool down. Like most reptiles, garters warm up by basking in the sun. It may be on a rock or perhaps on a branch overhanging water. Garters can function during cool weather (down to 16 C/60 F) and in fairly warm weather (up to 34 C/93 F). They strive to maintain their body temperature range between 22-32 C (72-88 F), with their optimum range being 29-30 C (84-86 F).

Hibernation

Many of the garters must hibernate during the winter due to the severe drop in temperatures and reduced number of hours available for basking. Often this period of dormancy is required to stimulate mating behaviors. Northern garters, such as the Red-sided Garter (T. sirtalis parietalis) which range as far north as Canada, migrate to their hibernaculum which is usually the same den used for hibernating in previous years. Garters may travel 3.5 km (2.2 mi) to their hibernation site. Garters hibernate in aggregations - hundreds of snakes gathering in the same hibernaculum, spending the winter together and accessible to each other for spring breeding. During the winter, temperatures in the hibernaculum never drops below 3-4 C (37-39 F) at which the garters may safely remain for sixteen weeks without serious loss of body weight or impact on general health. One of the ways they are able to sustain such dormancy is to stock up on body fat by feeding heavily during the late summer.

When spring weather arrives, the hibernaculum may take two or more weeks to warm up. During this time, the snakes slowly come awake, some making short forays outside the den, returning to the hibernaculum for the night to avoid the still-cold spring night temperatures above ground. This feature helps ensure they will not be caught out during a late frost.

Reproduction

Males, upon emerging from hibernation, become sexually active sooner than the females, ensuring that females will be mated at the time they leave the den. To insure that there are in fact young in the spring, mating often occurs in late fall as well; the sperm is stored until the spring. If there is successful mating in the spring, the fall sperm is allowed to degenerate.

The spring aggregations are often the time that garters are collected by humans, an unfortunate occurrence as it disrupts the natural balance of males and females and reduces the natural diversity of the gene pool of that population, weakening it and potentially affecting it's long-term survival.

Garters are live bearers, with young born in the late summer (August-September, with some as late as October). The average litter size is 23.2 (10-30, with some litters recorded as high as 60 and 85 offspring). The young average 23.5 cm (9.4 in), with the smallest at 13 cm (5.2 in) and the largest at 26 cm (10.4 in). The young are independent from birth, on their own as they make their way out of the birth membrane. Young consume great quantities of prey in order to fatten up before the winter hibernation. Consuming earthworms, invertebrates and fish, they are surprisingly aggressive and able to eat prey which are large for their size. It is during this period that they are most susceptible to predation.

Predation

Besides humans, there is a wide variety of natural, and introduced, predators. King snakes (Lampropeltis getula ssp) are one of the biggest of the reptilian predators of garters, killing and consuming garters which may be up to two-thirds of their own body length and of similar width.

Birds are also successful predators of garters. Road runners excel in catching snakes, and garters are no exception, quickly dispatched through vigorous use of the road runners beak and feet. American and other kestrel's feed on snakes; hovering for hours over likely meadowlands, they swoop down to grab prey which has been spotted, alighting to feed. Kites, such as the Swallow-tailed, Black-shouldered and Mississippi, feed on garters, as do some of the harriers and hawks. Hunting strategies vary, from airborne reconnaissance to perching in likely spots and watching for movement below.

Mammalian predators can be segregated into two categories: wild and domestic. In the wild, few mammals specialize in feeding on snakes, and even mongoose diets contain only a small portion from snakes. Mink, too, are ferocious hunters, and can easily kill and eat garters. Skunks and opossums may eat garters if they uncover them while scavenging. The larger carnivores such as raccoons and badgers may occasionally catch and eat snakes, but they most likely don't bother much with garters as their small size does not make it worth the expenditure of time and energy necessary to capture them.

Domestic cats have had the greatest impact on endemic animal populations. While other introduced species, such as the rat and rabbit, destroy habitat by consuming and often eradicating vegetation, the cat succeeds due to the lack of adaptations by the local populations who evolved in the absence of such feline predators. The decimation of garter populations by cats is most likely in areas around human development. Pigs, chickens, sheep and horses have been known to kill snakes, especially in areas with venomous snakes, but this is more a result of instinctive fear rather than true predation.

Housing

First and foremost, enclosures used to house garters must be escape-proof. These slender, persistent snakes are, like many snakes, escape artists. Using shelves or small ledges just under the lid, garters have been known to maneuver the lids just wide enough to squeeze through.

Regardless of the type of garter, you will need to set up a vivarium--an enclosure containing both dry sleeping, resting and basking areas as well as a pool for soaking. Glass tanks with locking lids are easily available. Suitable wooden tanks with sliding glass or hinged wood-and-glass doors are likewise available or often custom made. Height is not critical except for the fact that interesting natural- looking vivaria can be constructed in tanks with some degree of height.

Adequate ventilation must be provided regardless of the type of tank used. While garters spend a good deal of time in and around water, excessive dampness and the inability to get completely dry can cause skin diseases and illness. In addition, excessive heat needs to be vented out in order to maintain the desired temperature gradients and basking area temperatures.

While some indirect sunlight is acceptable, at no time should the snake's tank be left in the direct sun as it may become too hot for the snake. Care especially must be taken during the cooler months with snake enclosures left in front of closed windows.

Substrates and Furnishings

Depending upon the aesthetics and ease of maintenance desired, substrates can be as simple as unprinted newsprint, butcher paper, paper towels or brown paper bags. A more natural ground can be constructed by combining together sterile sand and potting soil (peat), with a smaller amount of bark mixed in. This creates a light, airy soil which is easy to move through, and from which wastes can be sifted out. While wood shavings can be used, sawdust and high-dust shavings should be avoided due to the possibility of the snake ingesting them when eating and possible respiratory infections from inhaling the dust particles.

A pool should be provided, one large enough for the snake to completely immerse itself. A shallow bowl or saucer (clear or colored plastic flower pot saucers are inexpensive, easy to clean and disinfect and are nontoxic) can be worked down into the substrate, with a narrow rim above the surface to ensure that the water does no

Answer 5

Dont keep it if you caught it in the wild. If not,Try geting a pretty big tank for it .Feed it mice.It wont bite cause they dont have  teeth

Answer 6

I agree. Dirt, water bowl, plants, a 10 gal tank should be enough, also add branches and an occasional live pinky at about 10pm when most active. These snakes are great, just don't p**s it off or it will spray like a skunk. The older ones don't always spray, but babies always do. They are useful to gardeners. You might be able to find someone with a mole problem and sell the snake to someone with a high food potential. If it was wild it will survive, but don't do it if it was cage bred. They are very friendly.