Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, I have been wanting a Garter Snake for some time and just aquired one today that was found in my friends yard yesterday. I live in NY and enjoy doing demos with my reptiles to show the public the positive aspects of reptiles and amphibians. Too many horror stories around here of people seeing Garters and chopping them in 1/2 with shovels. I want to show people that these are wonderful animals who should be appreciated and not killed. I have been trying to get more animals into my collection that are native to NY for use in the demos. If I cannot get this snake to eat, I will release her. I'm curious, she is on the tubby side and I cannot tell if she just ate a good sized meal or if she could be pregnant. I will know one way or another in a week or so because if it's food she will digest it and won't be so tubby any more. Just curious if you guys can tell by the photos. I'm also confused as to what the difference, if any, there is between an "Eastern" Garter and a "Common" Garter, and how could I tell if this is an Eastern or not? Was caught in Western NY.

-----
Lyns Lair
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
8.0 Rats (Inky, Oy, Ben, Pinky, Templeton, Cotton, Bilbo, Carlo)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow/Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 California King Snake (Boo)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snake (Suezo)
1.1 Normal Corn Snakes het Pewter and Snow (Romeo & Juliet)
2.1.1 Eastern Milk Snakes (Uno, Dos, Tres, Snoopy)
1.0 Ball Python (Slytherin)
2.0 Smooth Green Snakes (Fred & George)
1.0 Banded Water Snake (Bubbles)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (Squirt & Shyanne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.1 Bearded Dragons (Moose & Tipsy)
0.0.1 Mountain Horned Dragon (Tiramisu)
1.0 Ornate Uromastyx (Scribbles)
0.0.1 American Toad (Bump)
0.0.1 Fowlers Toad (Rudy)
0.0.3 Mystery Toads (no names yet)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.4 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Zipper, Twister)

It looks like one of the color variations of the Eastern Garter. The Eastern Garter, Thmanophis sirtalis sirtalis, is a subspecies of the Common Garter, T sirtalis. I consulted the Field Guide (Conant) and it apears the only other Garter found in any part of western NY is the Shorthead Garter T brachystoma. You also have Northern Ribbon Snake T sauritus septentrionalis.

Your snake does look like it may be gravid so be prepared for babies very soon. You should not have any problem getting your snake to eat and thrive in captivity. It should accept a rodent diet with little or no problem and this is often considered better for a captive Garter.

Keep us posted and provide a pic of her litter.
-----
Randy Hallman

She does'nt look gravid to me.Looks like she had a large meal.Usually when they are gravid the lumps are more toward the tail.Or she could be gravid and have a large meal in her.The big lump in the center is defintely food.Here is a gravid female to compare with.

I concede, your assessment may very well be the correct one. I am knowledgeable about Garters but have very little experience with breeding them (thus far reluctant to hassle with shipping). I tossed a coin and decided she looked a bit thicker than normal in the last third of her body behind the lump that appears to be a meal. I have seen garters eat a lot of fish and appear that way as well however. I do love her color though.
-----
Randy Hallman

Thanks guys. She (or maybe he) pooped twice last night and already isn't looking so tubby. I wasn't sure if I wanted babies so I was half relieved and half bummed. I would have had to release most of the babies and that would have been hard because they would have been so cute I would have wanted to keep them all. Since it appears she isn't gravid, I did try a little handling with her today. After peeing on me (didn't smell bad so to me that's peeing and not musking), and after she sunk her little teeth into my finger, she actually calmed down pretty good. I've always been surprised at how quickly wild garters accept the fact that someone has picked them up.

Here are some photos of Garters I've found while hiking last Summer. I photographed them and then released them because they were in a protected Nature Preserve.

This one was particularly hard to leave behind...

Wee One

This one kinda looks like like my Slithers...

I fell in love with this one and Really wanted to bring her home. She was pretty big and in shed but was just so calm and friendly. But I behaved myself and let her go.

Garters are just so neat.

There are also Water Snakes there, but I wasn't fast enough to catch any of them...

-----
Lyns Lair
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
8.0 Rats (Inky, Oy, Ben, Pinky, Templeton, Cotton, Bilbo, Carlo)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow/Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 California King Snake (Boo)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snake (Suezo)
1.1 Normal Corn Snakes het Pewter and Snow (Romeo & Juliet)
2.1.1 Eastern Milk Snakes (Uno, Dos, Tres, Snoopy)
1.0 Ball Python (Slytherin)
2.0 Smooth Green Snakes (Fred & George)
1.0 Banded Water Snake (Bubbles)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (Squirt & Shyanne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.1 Bearded Dragons (Moose & Tipsy)
0.0.1 Mountain Horned Dragon (Tiramisu)
1.0 Ornate Uromastyx (Scribbles)
0.0.1 American Toad (Bump)
0.0.1 Fowlers Toad (Rudy)
0.0.3 Mystery Toads (no names yet)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.4 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Zipper, Twister)

I enjoyed your pictures very much. I love those Brownish Red Easterns. I have 5 cb Eastern Flame Garters and mine do not calm down. I have a lot of snakes though and spend very little time with them. I have noticed that as a rule my various T elegans seem a little tamer than my various T sirtalis. I also have two cats one of which is named Mia.
-----
Randy Hallman

Anyone think this girl looks gravid?

-----
"Nothing happens in contradiction to nature, only to what we know of it."

How big is she?She does look pretty fat in the rear end.

She's pretty small. Maybe a foot long.
-----
"Nothing happens in contradiction to nature, only to what we know of it."