Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Someone gave me this snake claiming it was a Canadian Garter. I am no Garter expert but I know that the Garters in Canada look nothing like this. I was thinking an old world species, possibly the orient but I really have no idea. The scales are not keeled to the touch although it does have some color variation where the keels would be. When it musks it smells just like a skunk, unlike any Garter I have been around.

Any help would be great! Do I keep and care for it as a Garter or does it have its own specific needs.? It has been doing well on feeder guppies and is active, anything else I should add?

That's not Canadian that's for sure.

It's an Indonesian Garter Snake Xenochrophis vittatus

Care should be very similar to NA Thamnophis.

Jeremy

Yep, that's them... wish I could get some more of those. I kept them many years ago...

They're egg layers, and as for feeding, I never got mine to accept rodents at all. Live feeder fish - and cubed fish filet (trout, whiting, etc. - no thiaminase) with calcium powder added.

Lisa

>>That's not Canadian that's for sure.
>>
>>It's an Indonesian Garter Snake Xenochrophis vittatus
>>
>>Care should be very similar to NA Thamnophis.
>>
>>Jeremy
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Lisa
Living Earth Environmental Education
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Petco always has them for sale as "Canadian garters", I'm sure thats where it came from.

Dan Eby

Thanks for the help everyone! That is interesting that they have them for sale as Canadian Garters. Are there any laws against that? I know some of the other Keelbacks are rear fanged and can be dangerous to some people, does this fit into that group? I have grown to really enjoy the little guy and wouldn't mind finding a mate. Does anyone have experience with sexing these guys?

Thanks again,
-Thomas

They differ in care from thamnophis. Don't let it get to cold during the night and don't let them brumate in the cold.
Give them a winterrestperiod at roomtemperature.
They also need some more humidity, but also a perfect dry, hot spot in the terrarium is neccesary.

The name Canadian Gartersnake is really stupid! It's not even close.

Mine ate all kinds of fish. Never tried rodents. And they smell terribly when they musk, that is true.
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Dutch Thamnophis website

That is indeed a Striped keelback, Xenochrophis vitattus, also labeled "indonesian garter". Care is similar to garters but not exactly the same as the previous poster mentioned. I used to keep this species until both passed away, mine would eat anything I put in front of them. They are extremely fond of frogs and that is the trick to getting non feeders to eat. I now keep Rhabdophis Subminiatus another species of keelback that is considered dangerous. Yes, Keelbacks are rear-fanged so take care not to get bit or you *could* have a negative reaction to the bite.

It must be a regional thing (a particular wholesaler maybe?)- the Petcos that I've been to, in Pennsylvania and Ohio, have -never- gotten these in that I'm aware of, and I specifically go around looking for oddballs to pop up in petstores (both for me to purchase, but also to educate the stores on correctly IDing/caring for species. They do sometimes get in ribbon snakes and rough greens, but not these.

I'd be curious, Petcos in what areas of the country are getting these...

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Lisa
Living Earth Environmental Education
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Ack, sorry so many replies, I forgot to add:

One of the weirdest things about them, as the original poster mentioned, was the convergent evolution that let a small snake from Indonesia, use a defensive mechanism (musk) that smells darn near identical to the spray of the N. Amer. striped skunk.

As was noted elsewhere, they do love amphibians. I never wanted to feed tadpoles/frogs, as I was afraid of parasite transfer. But maybe scenting with amphibs would make accepting rodents easier.

Back when I had several of these, I did a pretty exhaustive internet search for info. I wound up contacting an English-speaking biology professor in Indonesia, and asked him about whether they were venomous. His reply in broken English was that their bite was like "being stung by a lot of bees".

Well.... that could mean anything from fairly painful to deadly, depending upon an individual's reaction. But I believe Bryan Greig Fry (sp?) did work with the Asian natricines (keelbacks) - Rhabdophis, Xenocrophis, Amphiesma, etc. and X. vittatus and piscator and Amphiesma stolata (the ones most likely to be seen in the US)were to be considered harmless...

I'd love to find X.vittatus and A. stolata locally (at shows or petstores) again. I only ever had one A. stolata, and I bought it at Hamburg. It was sold as a "Chinese red-headed gartersnake" but the common name is "buff-striped keelback". Turns out they don't always have a very red head.

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Lisa
Living Earth Environmental Education
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Lisa,
Here in MT. petcos have them every now & then, & always labeled as Canadian Garters, & they dont listen or care when you tell them thats not what they are.

Dan Eby

>>Lisa,
>>Here in MT. petcos have them every now & then, & always labeled as Canadian Garters, & they dont listen or care when you tell them thats not what they are.
>>
>>Dan Eby

That's a shame. Nothing pisses me off more than uneducated petstores, except maybe uneducated owners...

Like the time I overheard a jobber at a reptile show tell a newbie that the red mites between the toes of a flying gecko were symbiotic, not parasitic. At least he did tell her that the gecko was wild caught....

Nice outcrop and train! Is that a good field herping spot?

Lisa

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Lisa
Living Earth Environmental Education
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Lisa,
It is a pretty good spot, but alot of houses are going up in the area so I'd bet that in another 10 years or so all the nice rocks are nothing more then yard decorations. Just one of my many herping areas being taken away from me (& the herps!).

Dan Eby

I remember finding one maybe 3 years ago and i had it for about a year and a half.... It calmed down just like most NA garter snakes do and ate fish great It did very well while i had hi, and was as tame as can be....but sadly 1 day i found him dead for a reason im not sure R.I.P.