Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys, Well since my successfull shed, my momz says she really likes this snake and said I can go ahead and get the smaller one that was with this one in the petstore (and believe me, its a miracle my mom said I can have another pet because my room is CRAMMED with tarantulas and scorpions!) So, since they were together, I think it would be okay to bring that smaller one home. I would just like to know, is there any chance of them not accepting each others company? Or fighting? I dont to bring the little one home for any problems! They looked happy together in the petstore though! My snake is in a 10 gal by the way! Also will they fight over food when its feeding time? This one turns into a savage when I put in food and after its done, he still looks for more! I dont want him to bite the smaller one if I bring him home! Thank you all!

They will definitely fight over food. This can be violent and catastrophic, especially if they are different sizes. You can probably keep them together with no problem but you need to feed them separately. Let them calm down a bit before reintroducing the other back into their tank. I have several pairs that I keep together and I feed them individually on different days. This prevents me from having to handle a snake that just ate. It also makes it easier to monitor how much each is eating. I have three of the same species and size feeding on rosys and I feed them together. I have to keep an eye on them because they will fight over the same fish sometimes.

Randy
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Firehouse Herps

Oh Hey Randy (its me Evelyn) I was also thinking of feeding them separately and on different days IF I do go ahead and get the smaller one. The smaller one is literaly twice as small as mine! I could just imagine the way they'll both react to bowl of fish! I have a separate tank (which may soon be occupied my my quickly growing tarantula) that I can temporarily use to hold the other snake while one is feeding in its home! Although I didnt see them separate when feeding in the petstore. Thanx again!

Hey, I went over to the petstore and got the little one there! He/she is also freshly shedded! They have been smelling each other and acting a bit weird! They pause and smell and start shaking thier heads a bit! Probably getting used to each other! At first, The big one looked like it was about to eat the smaller one head first! lmao Hopefully that wont happen when I leave!

>>Hey, I went over to the petstore and got the little one there!

Get another tank too. Pet stores keep animals together (when they shouldn't) out of necessity: They get a shipment of herps and have to put them SOMEHWERE and hope they sell before they kill each other, give each other diseases, or stress each other out too much.

The smaller snake will probably be dominated by the larger snake when it comes to feeding, basking, hiding, etc. if left in the same enclosure. This could lead to the smaller snake being physiologically stressed to the point of not eating and possible death.

I could be wrong, but if you have the means to provide for both, why chance it?
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

Yes i considered that, the whole point was to have a community! They were in the store together for a pretty long time before I bought them, without any other herps! I plan to take one snake out while the other feeds, Than reintrodure them and than wait a day or two and do the opposite. Therefore I dont have to handle the snake that ate! They look happy coiled up together! If worst comes the worst, I have a spare tank just right for the little one and I can separate them!

>>Yes i considered that, the whole point was to have a community!

Snakes generally don't exist as "communities" in nature. To replicate any sort of "community" realistically you would need a LOT more space than a 10-gallon! There are very few social reptiles. Solomon Island skinks are the only example that comes to mind. Some reptiles can be observed in large groups in the wild at times (hibernating, mating, basking, even feeding in some cases), but it's out of necessity (and choice) and they can always distance themselves from competitors.

If worst comes the worst, I have a spare tank just right for the little one and I can separate them!

The damage due to stress may not manifest itself outwardly until it is too late!
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

I completely understand what you are sayin but please try to understand that these garters were together for god knows how long and even eating together in the petstore! My large garter is NOT full grown and the other one is a baby! When they get large for the tank, I will most certainly get them a larger inclusure! Many people on this forum said in their posts that garters and very social, and I am willing to give this a try. I highly dount the will stress each other out here in my home, because if they didnt stress each other out for the months they were in that loud, innoying petstore, why in the heck would they suddenly get stressed here???? Seriosly consider that! If two snakes were together in the store why would there be a problem here. When I used to come in there buying crickets I used to see fish in their bowl and they were both in their, that means they ate together! The owner said they had these garters there for quite a long time TOGETHER!

A friend of mine has 3 garters together for yrs now. I was over there few days ago she even feeds them same time(just minnows in the water dish)and doesnt supervise eating.
Though I myself would never do that and they do go crazy eating all together for yrs not 1 problem.
Keeping together is no big deal . I think you will like this site. They are kept together never a problem.
http://www.gartersnake.co.uk/index.htm I would watch them eat tho see nothing wrong with feeding together if watched.
Your small one might be uneasy because smaller but when they get close in size no big deal..
Who knows you might have a pair .

Fleck

thank you, I thought so too! I still plan to fed separetly because of thier size difference! Other than that I think they will be ok and enjoy each others company! How can two snakes get stressed that bad to the point they dont eat, when they've been kept together before in a noisy petshop?? I just hope I dont wake up one morning to find babies! But than again that wouldnt be so bad either! ;D

My friends snake gets along well and tho this may sound wacky they use same hide area tho her whole snake "room" is same temp kept warm so its not like one area warmer than another.
I am looking for two albino butler garters and will keep them together some snakes you cant ofcourse but some I wonder if they actually prefer it(garters).
The link is good info good luck.
Fleck

thanx, i already have this site under my favorite places. ;D and a few other good ones! My two were in the same hide for a sec then the smaller one squirmed out real quick! The little guy is so fast and agile! Is there any way of telling a garters age?

I was reading my book on them a few days ago about that and some other stuff. From what it saids you cant tell their age with any accuracy unless your a vet or herpetologist that takes xray and knows how to "read" the skeleton but even this after a few yrs is impossible to say how old with accuracy.
By looking at them according to the book its impossible tho real experienced owners/breeders of them can guess and fairly well. That would leave me out lol
How is your set up heat wise like do you use UTH or overhead light or room is fine?
Fleck

Well, My room stays between 77-78* all the time! (Like I mentioned before I am a scorpion keeper and They need very high temps.) I do use an additional red heat lamp on all my animals from 8am-5pm daily! After 5pm the temp drops back to around 78*
I have one large hide big enough for both snakes, Sometime in the next week I will get two smaller hides instead so they can have their own hides! I've seen them in the same hide already but only for a few minutes!

Thank you,NP -Fleck

I got those pinkies today.... but my large snake is still very plump so im going to wait a week before feeding them! The smaller one is too small for a pinky! Heres a pic of thier new set up! =0)

Great set up love the background to. Have you tried a branch or two just to use some of the higher area. I imagine they would climb. Though ofcourse not needed .
Fleck

Yes they do climb a lot, I have a rock with green fake plants and a tree branck with flowers and leaves also fake. I will probably replace the rock with another one that had higher plants!

Hey, I got frozen pinkies for my larger garter. I am going to wait to feed em though. He's still plump! Can I cut a pinky and give it to the baby?? Or its still too big? I also got guppies for scenting. If they die I will freeze them too until I need em!

You can cut a pinkie to feed it . However not all garters will take pinkies right away it might take time scenting is ofcourse great help. Putting pinkie parts if you need to in the dish with a couple of guppies wil help if that is even needed.
Fleck

>>I completely understand what you are sayin but please try to understand that these garters were together for god knows how long and even eating together in the petstore! My large garter is NOT full grown and the other one is a baby!

I'm not saying it can't be done; I'm saying GENERALLY it is not best for the animals. On the collared lizard forum there's a poster who was keeping several collareds together. After one was attacked by another, she separated them, and the attacked lizard starting eating a lot more and putting on weight. All this time she thought he was just a smaller individual, but perhaps it's tied in to being stressed.

I keep two box turtles of two different species together. I keep very close watch of their weights. I might try separating them and seeing how it affects their eating habits (although it's only really valid for the winter months; in the summers they're outside in a large pen where they don't see each other half the time).
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

Here they are loungin' around!

I would've loved keeping my garters togther. But, I found out that T.elegans was one of the few garters that tended to be cannibalistic so that option got nixed real fast

-Alice

Oh that sux! Is it possible for snakes to remember each other? These little guys are actin like they never split up! the larger one is resting on top of the smaller one like it protecting em. lmao