Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I found a wandering garter about a foot long in my window-well but had to put it out as it would not eat frozen-thawed pinkies/earthworms/slugs/live baby guppies put in the water bowl, etc. Well, I caught garter-fever and came here looking for a new pet. I was amazed at the color varieties that are available (blues, silvers and red-sided)! I bought some 100% het anerythristic babies because they were captive born and bred and EATING!! I bought my snakes from Jeff Benfer and he was absolutely terrific! The wandering garter was nice, but Jeff's captive bred babies are parasite free and are much more showy than the wandering garter was. I like the idea of people selectively breeding for health and color and hope that garters become more widely known. These are such fun snakes, very social and active during the day and they are BEAUTIFUL! I thought only the bigger rat-eating snakes were this gorgeous, but some of us would rather not deal with that. You folks have to get the word out that these are GREAT LITTLE SNAKES! Hopefully more selective breeders like Jeff will help to make that happen. Don't keep these guys a secret any longer!!

Garter Fever infects us all at some point!

They are not really a secret, just lacking respect, but that has been changing rapidly.

Ease of care, manageable size, such varied personalities and colors all make for a very attractive pet option.

I would always recommend a garter as a "first snake" for those exact reasons.

Many keepers of the bigger snakes started by picking up a garter as a child, and keeping it in that old fish tank that mom put in the garage. But then they "progress" to boids, milks or whatever and forget the core reason they fell in love with snakes in the first place.

Now go to the top of the highest mountain, and shout to the world how cool they are!

Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
our critters

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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
0.0.1 Eastern MilkSnake WC "Carmello" adult super sweet temperment
1.2.3 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids (30 plus released!)
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
2.2.0 Thamnophis radix Snow, Iowa snow & christmas snow het.
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - "Flame" red and white stripes
1.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis CB "Flame" & Melanistic
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC
0.1.0 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snake (Her children were raised & released)
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
1.0.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Growing fast!
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
2.1.0. calico RATS
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

Wayne,
Thats a good point that a lot of people, myself included start off at a kid with a garter and then move on to other "bigger and better" snakes, so they view gettting serious about garters as going backwards or "kids stuff". Buuuuuuuuuut, I think the color variety and morphs and all the possiblities genetics and experimental wise, make the garters also for even the most advanced snake keepers, not to mention the market will continue to be wide open and not be constrained, unlike the constrictors market which is continually under the gun or under pressure if you will to be banned by anti-snake people. When you talk about popularity and morph availability you need to at the very least mention Scott Felzer, because he has done and continues to do soooooo much for garter snakes. The future looks bright for the garter and they desirve a lot more respect.
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Jeff Benfer
You'll get your regius's to the wall, man!
1.0 pastel Python regius
0.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
0.2 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.1 Ambystoma tigrinum
2.2 het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.1 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
1.1 heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus

Jeff, I figured Scott was a given

His posts and pictures contained in the last umpteen threads have all but dominated our garter discussions as of late

And my personal "second favorite" has been reading your enthusiastic posts about them snow babies

I was drooling over his web site before I found this forum, It was through the conversations on this forum that compelled me to send him lots of money.

Hi Scott!!!

Regards,
Wayne
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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
0.0.1 Eastern MilkSnake WC "Carmello" adult super sweet temperment
1.2.3 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids (30 plus released!)
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
2.2.0 Thamnophis radix Snow, Iowa snow & christmas snow het.
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - "Flame" red and white stripes
1.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis CB "Flame" & Melanistic
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC
0.1.0 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snake (Her children were raised & released)
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
1.0.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Growing fast!
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
2.1.0. calico RATS
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

Wayne,
did you finally get my email this morning? apparently we had a communication problem since you changed your email. And I am terrible sorry I sold all the snows, if the last pair deal doesn't go thru, I will call you on the telephone. There isn't anyone I would rather share a pair of my babies with than you, you are real stand up and I know you take the best care for your snakes, again I am sooooo very sorry. I wondered why I wasn't hearing back from you, but you never know?
Jeff
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Jeff Benfer
You'll get your regius's to the wall, man!
1.0 pastel Python regius
0.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
0.2 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.1 Ambystoma tigrinum
2.2 het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.1 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
1.1 heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus

Jeff,
Yeah it was a proverbial "punch in the gut" there for a day.

When all the breeding fever started, I lost control of my common senses for a few, I'm sure you know what I mean there.

I set that money aside day one, But when I started hording all my spare change instead of applying it where it belongs, and since during the summer I never watch any TV, I turned off my cable to buy snakes.

Without even thinking, I had no Internet whatsoever turned on for a week, who has time to play on the computer when it's summer?

Within a week I was going nuts, so I got a cheap dial up for a bit, then I tried to check my email, and the pop server has locked me out, so I had to do the gmail thing to communicate.

It was only after the fact that I realized we never exchanged phone numbers, and I didn't think they would grow so fast (I had the shipping window off by a couple weeks)

Thanks for those words Jeff! I appreciate it.

Wayne
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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
0.0.1 Eastern MilkSnake WC "Carmello" adult super sweet temperment
1.2.3 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids (30 plus released!)
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
2.2.0 Thamnophis radix Snow, Iowa snow & christmas snow het.
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - "Flame" red and white stripes
1.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis CB "Flame" & Melanistic
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC
0.1.0 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snake (Her children were raised & released)
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
1.0.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Growing fast!
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
2.1.0. calico RATS
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

Thanks for the very kind words Virginia. Most of us that keep garters wonder the same thing,why aren't garters more popular? like the ball python or corns. The garters have soooooo many positive attributes, diurnal being one of the tops, size, and now the variety of colors and morphs available is starting to rival as well, actually exceed other in some ways how many bright blue snakes are there, or bright red? Aslo they are non-constrictors, when constrictors are being more and more banned from cities ect. I think one of the things that has hurt their popularity in the past was the musking, but if you raise up a CB from hatchling and handle on a regular basis, they NEVER musk. Plus they are great with kids, and I never hear anything bad or negative to say about garters from non-snake people, but metion the word python and they look at you like you are "one of those people"
I love them and glad you do too, spread the word.
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Jeff Benfer
You'll get your regius's to the wall, man!
1.0 pastel Python regius
0.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
0.2 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.1 Ambystoma tigrinum
2.2 het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.1 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
1.1 heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus

We've a WC DARLING gater we use for educational purposes regarding native MN snakes (we've also got a gopher snake and it's fun to contrast the two species) at the state park where I work. Winnie The "Poo" is her name. I just LOVE her to death! Cutest damn thing in the WORLD.

She's only 'pooed' once, when she was caught and hasn't musked since. She is a sweetheart and I could just eat her alive I love her so much. I'm about the only one she likes and will settle down with. Others she's a wiggle-worm when they hold her. She knows and loves her muzzer!

I put it down to the "grass is greener on the other side of the fence" syndrome.

Garters are GREAT!

Paul Hollander

Jeff, I will spread the word about garters (and kingsnake.com and you as a merchant)! I wonder if it's just because I'm in Utah and people can catch snakes in their backyards (speaking of backyards, WOW, Wayne you are a great conservationist!) but I do not see garters in the stores here. That is a real shame after my introduction to them. I think they would be great for getting the ladies into the hobby because they ARE cute, they don't eat live rodents and they do have so many interesting and beautiful color patterns. Their size is also great for apartment renters, so they would make an excellent snake for city dwellers. I hope my snakes will be as comfortable with me as green56belair indicates they can be and maybe if the words gets out more at shows, etc. those currently "on the other side of fence" as Paul put it will think about returning to the snakes of their youth.
Virginia

I am in Utah....and am spreading teh word about these wonderful snakes!!! I am a breeder of them. most pet stores here look at me like I'm an alien or something when I mention I work with garters. if you like them a lot, go to thamnophis.com and join!!!! lots of garter lovers there!!!!

Thanks, ssssnakeluver!!!
That looks like a great site! I will register there as well. I guess maybe garters are a little less of a secret than I thought, but that is really short-sighted of the pet shops. They are losing out on what could be good business for them. Maybe you could direct them to this thread and show them the benefits people see in garters. Next time I go into the shops for pinkies, I will put in a plug for carrying garters, as well. Thanks Again!