Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently acquired six non feeding Coastal Ribbon snakes, and got them all eating just fine but recently they have been displaying very aggressive behavior toward one another.

To clarify, They are fed one at a time, in separate sandwich boxes, never together.

When they fight, they bite each other in the mid section.

Is this a normal behavior for Proximus snakes??

Could this be a result of the fact that the original owner kept them too long before sending them to me??

They were entirely too thin, on the edge of emaciated when they arrived her, and now that I have triggered the feeding response, maybe they are making up for it??

Any insights appreciated,

Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
Dances With Reptiles

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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
0.1.0 Eastern MilkSnake WC "Carmella" adult super sweet temperment (seven egg clutch!)
1.2.3 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids (30 plus released!)
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
0.0.1 Thamnophis HybridAlbino Checkered Normal eastern
2.0.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters (rusty orange phase)
1.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Snow Hets, Scott Felzer
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - Red Phase Eastern Garter red and white stripes
0.0.1 Thamnophis butleriButler's Garter Snake
0.0.6 Thamnophis proximus orariusCoastal Ribbons
0.0.16 Thamnophis sirtalis - newborn Eastern Garter babies 7/11/08
0.0.17 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis HET Anerythristic Scott Felzer stock.
1.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis CB "Flame" & Melanistic Scott Felzer
0.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis Eastern Snow "Snowflake"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis California Red Sided
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.

The first thing that comes to mind is,keepthem seperated! Jeff

When they fight, they bite each other in the mid section.

They might be going straight for the food item in the other snake's belly. Garters have a powerful sense of smell. I've observed this with garters before after eating fish and eastern hognose's when they eat frogs,if kept together. Kind of like those african jackals,got to gaurd their bellys after a big meal,yikes. Kevin

They are currently and will remain seperated.

One is adopted out to a very nice lady who will take awesome care of it.

Quite honestly a display tank with one is all I care to have.

I keep entire clutches in 10 gallon tanks as neonates, and this particular batch is the first time I have ever seen such behavior displayed.

Regards,
Wayne
Dances With Reptiles

-----

1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
0.1.0 Eastern MilkSnake WC "Carmella" adult super sweet temperment (seven egg clutch!)
1.2.3 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids (30 plus released!)
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
0.0.1 Thamnophis HybridAlbino Checkered Normal eastern
2.0.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters (rusty orange phase)
1.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Snow Hets, Scott Felzer
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - Red Phase Eastern Garter red and white stripes
0.0.1 Thamnophis butleriButler's Garter Snake
0.0.6 Thamnophis proximus orariusCoastal Ribbons
0.0.16 Thamnophis sirtalis - newborn Eastern Garter babies 7/11/08
0.0.17 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis HET Anerythristic Scott Felzer stock.
1.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis CB "Flame" & Melanistic Scott Felzer
0.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis Eastern Snow "Snowflake"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis California Red Sided
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.

Strange behavior indeed, well one things for sure they aren't non-feeders any more Wayne maybe you should start selling tadpoles and baby toads online-might make more money than selling the snakes, just as there is big money in selling rodents. I guess when you start producing lots of baby garters, getting the babies isn't likely going to be an issue at your house. I had a couple that took awhile but finally came around to taking live fish then switched them to dead, but it sounds like the baby toads and tadpoles is the real ticket.
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Jeff Benfer

1.0 pastel Python regius
1.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
1.3 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.2 double het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
2.2 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
0.2 het Christmas albino Thamnophis radix
1.1 double het cherry erythristic, albino Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 melanistic Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 triple heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 Okeetee Pantherophis guttatus