Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok so its been a month since I got my baby eastern garter, he's been chowing down on lots of worms and a few fish. He's 8 inches now, he was 5 when i got him and has shed twice. I don't know if that type of growth spurt is normal in garters I wouldn't mind if someone could answer that? Now I've switched him onto pinkie parts, rather easily actually only took 2 feedings. so now that I've switched him do I still feed him every 3days or do I do I feed him once a week like my corn snake? And my last question is even though he's only 8 inches is it ok to try to handle him and do most garter snake calm down and get used to being held or are they just naturally high strung snakes?

Ok so its been a month since I got my baby eastern garter, he's been chowing down on lots of worms and a few fish. He's 8 inches now, he was 5 when i got him and has shed twice. I don't know if that type of growth spurt is normal in garters I wouldn't mind if someone could answer that? Now I've switched him onto pinkie parts, rather easily actually only took 2 feedings. so now that I've switched him do I still feed him every 3days or do I do I feed him once a week like my corn snake? And my last question is even though he's only 8 inches is it ok to try to handle him and do most garter snake calm down and get used to being held or are they just naturally high strung snakes?

you can continue feeding every couple days as long as the snake doesn't refuse, usually after a week or two feeding pinkie parts you should be able to try a extra small day old pinky and if they take that and you get them feeding whole pinkies they will grow fast and can be fed less often, say every 4-5days then as you move them up to smalls is usually about the time I go to 1 per week, but also the snake will give you that info too, with refusals, and just adjust accordingly (read the snake). As far as handling goes, sometimes it's a matter of them settling down, sometimes it's a matter of earning trust, and sometimes it's a matter of personality, every individual snake has a different "additude" and some will be nice and calm and dosile from the git go and some will be jumpy or just plain nippy and nasty. Hope this helps
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Jeff Benfer
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