Reptile & Amphibian Forums

for some reason i see garters as dirty snakes. dont get me wrong, i love them (and keep one) they just dont seem as clean to me.

i think its because im used to captive snakes being smooth scaled and "shiny". ive grown up catching garters, they have rough scales, a "dull" appearence and the wild one musk and crap on you when you pick them up.

do captive bred garters seem "cleaner"?
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jake

my addiction:
0.2 normal ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
0.1 amelenistic corn snake (maizy)
0.1 blizzard corn (blizz)
1.0 albino cal king (zeus)
0.0.1 wc garter (zim)
hybrid breeders association
hybrid haven

I am brand new here, and I have only one snake; a Thamnophis Radix or Plains garter. He was caught wild when very small, only 5 or 6" in length, tiny really. Anyway he never musked or crapped ever while handling him. I've had him for six months, and I have handled him regularly with no problems, in fact as far as reptiles go this little guy(about 20in)almost seems affectionate! He is content to wander around my hand/fingers, and if I'm wearing a sweater he'll climb right into the sleave and have a nap. He has just recently shed his eye caps, so I expect his 6th shed any day now. The eye caps get cloudy and then shed a few days later, then the rest of the skin gets dull looking and follow shortly after. Maybe the snake you have is going to shed soon, making it feel rough. As for the musking I guess you got an agressive snake/species. Have fun,

Shooter

Garters have keeled scales..a little ridge down the middle of the scale....makes them not as shiny as the smooth scaled ones. Each garter has his own personality. More wild caught ones tend to musk than captive bred. They are very active and inquisitve...my favorite!

im sure when my garter big enough to hold i wont see them as dirty anymore. and when i say they seem dirty to me i dont mean they gross me out, no snake grosses me out.
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jake

my addiction:
0.2 normal ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
0.1 amelenistic corn snake (maizy)
0.1 blizzard corn (blizz)
1.0 albino cal king (zeus)
0.0.1 wc garter (zim)
hybrid breeders association
hybrid haven

In some ways garters are the ideal pet snake since they are often seen roaming around their vivs and are diurnal.

I have several garters, corns, a king and a western hognose and my garters are by far the most "social". I keep them in glass aquariums since they seem to hide much less than my other snakes. And as silly as this sounds we have a sibling garters in a very large viv that will come to the edge of the viv while we are near to "take a look" at us. I have two garters that will musk me. One I know for sure is wild caught and the other I suspect may be. My kingsnake not only musks but has this lovely habit of flinging her musk and feces. Her aim is something else! While the garter's musk is much smellier than the king's at least they don't fling it across the room!

Joanna

my garter likes to watch whats going on around the room also.

and i know what you mean about garters having smelly musk, it has a very "distinct funk" that is a major turnoff. which is a big part of why i think garters arent very clean.
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jake

my addiction:
0.2 normal ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
0.1 amelenistic corn snake (maizy)
0.1 blizzard corn (blizz)
1.0 albino cal king (zeus)
0.0.1 wc garter (zim)
hybrid breeders association
hybrid haven