Reptile & Amphibian Forums

These are the most abundant snake species here in Pittsburgh, as far as I know, the only thing people have gotten them to eat is earthworms, has anyone had them eat anything different?
Michael
Michael'

Eastern garters are *by far* the most common garter species in Pittsburgh. Shortheads aren't even native to SW PA, they are native to a very small area in NW PA, say up around Oil City. That being said, they *have* been introduced to an area in Butler County, and a few areas in Allegheny County. But are hardly considered common. (Not to say that you haven't found some, though.) You might be seeing Dekay's snakes or northern browns, they can be confused with them at times. Eastern garters greatly outnumber shortheads throughout the area.

I am from the 'Burgh, and was a member of the Tri-State Herpetological Society, and even the Pittsburgh Herp. Soc. many years ago. If you want, let me know where you're seeing them, (and give a photo for ID) we can compare notes.

Lisa

I meant to add that they are earthworm specialists... that is all they eat.

Lisa

lol, wow, yeah I read on a website they are considered rare, and truly I find that just a joke. In my area, they are the MOST COMMON snake to find from spring through autumn, I don't even find Common(Eastern)garters that often. I could try and get you pics(I know what a shorthead garter looks like)but my camera sucks and I will have to wait a while for the film to get developed and put on a picture CD, etc. lol that's funny, maybe I'm confusing them with another snake, but I'm not, there is an introduced population here in Pittsburgh, I live in Bloomfield, and they are plentiful. I find around 500 a year.
Michael

Funny, that you can joke about this, like you know better, when the herpetologists did a study here in PA (the Atlas project) that proved just what I told you. Now if you know better, then in a few years, when you go to college, please write a paper on the subject.

Like I said, there are some *introduced populations* in the Pittsburgh area, which might mean they are *locally common* in one small area, but a few miles away, they are exceedingly rare. Eastern garters are by far the most common garter in the Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. If you choose not to believe that then fine.

Lisa

Yeah I know about that project, they sent me stuff to participate in it. I know in Pittsburgh Eastern garters may be the most common snake, aside from ringnecks, but here in Bloomfield Shorthead garters are the most common, we hardly ever find ringnecks.

I find shortheads very easily and on any day I could go snake hunting and catch around 50 within 10 minutes, to me they are a junk snake used as feeder food for milk snakes and ringnecks.
Michael

For their own reasons! You like ringnecks, right? That's a so-called "junk snake". Whether they are ringnecks, garters, or the newest bp morph - they are all interesting.

Lisa

Yeah...tons of people use ringnecks as feeders, for everything from kings to corals.
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I know many people use ringnecks as food, I have as well a few times, I know many people consider them junk snakes, I would to if I gave up on them in captivity because it takes time for them to adjust. Shorthead garters are considered a junk snake to me because I have found so many of them and I have kept so many of them in captivity, and I have found nothing interesting about them. They are the one snake I have a 100% chance of finding any day from spring through summer, I find so many that I dislike them.
Michael

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