Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey everyone, Michael here.

I recently caught a huge CA Red-Sided Garter Snake today at the local High School. Our HS here is loacted in a place teeming with wildlife. Anyways, all of my cages are filled up with snakes, except I thought I might be able to put him with another snake. I had another CA Red-Sided Garter.

The CA Garter I've had for a while is young though. He's only about 11 inches long, where as this new one is a bit longer than the tank he is in. For the past few hours they have been together they have been fine...but there's one thing I am worried about. I am worried the bigger snake might eat the littler snake.

I am not sure sure on garters eating other garters, I personally don't think they would. But I really need to make sure...i'm hoping when I wake up this morning they are still both there.

I will post a pic of the CA Red-Sided I caught today soon. I'm going garter hunting tomorrow and hope to get a pic of everyone I catch. We have sever garters that live in my area - CA Red-Sided Garters, Northwestern Garters, Wandering Garters, and Western Ribbons.

Thank you everyone and take care!

I am worried the bigger snake might eat the littler snake.

Call me crazy, but if I had this concern I wouldn't have put them together.

Since you're out of cages, put the little one in a bucket until you can get another enclosure. The bucket won't be as pretty as a "display" type cage, but it'll ensure the snake doesn't get eaten, plus he won't be stressed out from the larger snake's presence.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

Its rare, but it could happen. Personally, I've raised babies with adults and never had a problem, but hey, a used 10-gallon is a pretty cheap way of seperating them and playing it safe. The thing to watch out for, even between two the same size, is when feeding. If they get ahold of opposite ends of the same piece of food, it could be trouble.

Both snakes will be better off, especially the smaller one. By the way, for future situations like this...You should really NEVER put a new snake (especially a wild-caught one) in with one of your others for the simple reason that if it is in any way ill it could make the other snake sick. Or...vice versa depending on how long you have had the other snake and what its history is. Duffy