Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,
I've kept various snakes for years and lately I've really been thinking about getting a pair of garter snakes. The variety and color are amazing to me but how are their temperments? I've always heard garters are fiesty and not easily handled. Plus, I'd be interested in a species that will take pinks as well. I've been drawn to the colors of the Puget Sound, the Eastern Black Neck and the Red Spotted as some of my favorites. Would you suggest any of these or another species? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

-----
Ken Roshak
BlackSwampSerpents@toast.net

Garter snakes in general are a little feisty, That's why I like them.

Most are not the best for handling, however the bites are harmless, almost funny. And the musk washes off with soap and water.

Pugets, Red Spots and Blacknecks all switch to pinky mice easily.

Currently all of our garters eat mice.

They are a fantastic display animal, My BP, Corn & Milks are all reclusive and spend a lot of time hiding.

The garters, well they wake up and explore the cage, climb all over, inspect and study the surroundings. They are active, making them wonderful to watch.

Every species of Thamnophis is attractive in it's own way...
Dances With Reptiles

-----
Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey

1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
0.1.9 Eastern MilkSnake WC "Carmella" adult super sweet temperment (Eggs all hatched!)
1.3.13 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, Sharon & Kids
0.2.0 Thamnophis cyrtopsis Easter Black Neck Garter
1.1.0. Thamnophis elegans vagrans Wandering Garter
2.2.0 Thamnophis Sirtalis - Florida Blue stripe Garter
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
0.0.1 Thamnophis HybridAlbino Checkered Normal eastern
2.0.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters (xtreme orange phase)
1.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Snow Hets
0.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Christmas Albino
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - Red Phase Eastern Garter red and white stripes
0.0.1 Thamnophis butleriButler's Garter Snake
0.0.4 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.
0.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis Eastern Snow "Snowflake"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis California Red Sided (R.I.P. little guy)
1.2.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue) 2 females recently aquired.
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC Pink eater!
0.1.0 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snake (Her children were raised & released)
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Sub-adult 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!
1.1.3. Green Anole "Crystal" & "Chris" WC dropping eggs fast!
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 Wayne for all the great input. I appreciate it! Yeah, my bulls can be a little feisty so I guess I'll get used to it
-----
Ken Roshak
BlackSwampSerpents@toast.net

Ken, my snow plains have a very different personality than all of my other garters, they never bite or musk, seem to enjoy handeling and are voratious feeders, so I think you should wait untill next spring and buy a pair from me, lol, of course I could be just a little bit biased
Seriously, good luck with what ever you decide and welcome to garters, they are very cool.
-----
Jeff Benfer
1.0 cinnamon pastel Python regius
1.1 pastel Python regius
1.1 mojave Python regius
0.3 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
2.3 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
2.0 66% het snow Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 triple heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 butter p.h. stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 carmel stripe p.h. amel Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 amelanistic p.h. carmel,stripe Pantherophis guttatus

That's good to know Jeff! I may just look you up in the Spring Post pics if you can.
-----
Ken Roshak
BlackSwampSerpents@toast.net

I have posted picts of my snows several times, so people on this forum are probably tired of seeing them, so you can scroll down and see them or look at my kingsnake photo album, or send me an email reply and I would be more than happy to email you pics. Thanks for your interest, there are so many beautiful garter morphs out there to choose from, the snows are my personal favorite and one that I plan to be keeping and breeding for a long time to come. Again thanks for your interest, but just in case you haven't discovered by now, Scott Felzer has a lot of cool garter morphs that he is working with, and he is who I got a majority of my garter stock from, including my parental pair of snows. Actually I can just put a couple pics up with this post for you. Good luck with what ever you decide.

-----
Jeff Benfer
1.0 cinnamon pastel Python regius
1.1 pastel Python regius
1.1 mojave Python regius
0.3 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
2.3 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
2.0 66% het snow Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 triple heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 butter p.h. stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 carmel stripe p.h. amel Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 amelanistic p.h. carmel,stripe Pantherophis guttatus

Wow! Those are beautiful indeed. I can't imagine anyone getting tired of seeing those. I'm amazed at all the garter morphs out there and species for sale. It will be a tough choice when the time comes. Thanks again.
-----
Ken Roshak
BlackSwampSerpents@toast.net