Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My boss found a baby garter in here basement today and insisted I get rid of it. I'm glad she didn't just kill the little guy but I'm not sure what to do with him. temperature seems to be in the 30s during the day lately. I don't know if there's anywhere decent for him to hibernate around my house and he's pretty small, maybe 1/2 -3/4 the length of a pencil.
Would it be safer for him to keep him active in the house for the winter? I'm not sure were I might get worms small enough but I can get guppies easily.
I don't want to send the little guy out to freeze and I do have enough extra equipment that it shouldn't be a problem to put him up for the winter
Thanks for any help

He should be able to eat night crawlers that are cut in half. So if you have a bait shop near you (I think some "super store" chain sell night crawlers as well) you might want to give that a try. You could also simply brumate the snake until spring and then release him.

My sister found a garter snake in her house last December and it wouldn't eat, so I cooled it until March, when it began taking earthworms.

Sometimes we find garters in northeast Ohio out in November if the weather is sunny, but if you release that snake now into an area that it is unfamiliar with, it may not find shelter from the winter cold.

Tim

Third Eye

Sounds similar to my situation, I am harboring 3 little snakes until spring.

2 Dekayi and a garter.

All of them are eating in captivity just fine.

The garter hitched a ride on a truck load of junk for 20 miles, so I know that little scrub would be doomed out back.

The Dekayi are tiny little runts. So I figured they deserve a decent head start.

It's great that you are willing to take this snake in for the winter!
-----
Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
Thamnophis US
Dances With Reptiles

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