*20 gallon tank or larger, or equivalent-sized reptile cage. A tank which is long and low is better than one that is tall, as these snakes live on the ground, and do not climb a lot.
*A tight-fitting (preferably locking) metal screen or mesh top. Snakes are expert escape artists, so don't use anything they could possibly pry open.
*A radiant heat source. Either an overhead heat lamp, or an undertank heater. This should be small enough to cover no more than half the cage. A full-spectrum flourescent reptile lamp is not necessary for a snake, as they can metabolize vitamin D from their prey. Hot rocks are not recommended for any reptile species, and are not designed for use with snakes. If you get an undertank heater, you MUST get a thermostat or rheostat to control it--these devices get too hot to be used without a controller.
*If you have selected an overhead heat lamp, an appropriate bulb for the lamp, such as a reptile daylight bulb.
*A water bowl deep enough for the snake to submerge in to soak.
*A substrate. A reptile cage carpet works well--buy two, so you can wash one while you use the other. You can also use a coconut-fiber based reptile bedding, or aspen shavings. It is also possible to use newspaper or paper towels. Do not use fine silica sand, aquarium gravel, corncob, or other beddings that might stick to prey and be eaten and cause an impaction of the digestive system, nor any that might be excessively drying. The substrate should be fairly dry, as excessive dampness can cause skin infections.
*Two temperature gauges (thermometer).
*One humidity gauge (hygrometer).
*Two hide boxes or caves, large enough for the snake to fit inside completely, but small enough that the snake can feel secure.
Optional equipment:
*Low, sturdy climbing branches, plastic plants, or other decorations (be sure they are too large to be eaten, and do not stack rocks which might fall if pushed).
*Backdrop for cage, if using aquarium.
*Feeding tongs--hand feed your reptiles without getting nipped.
*Book on garter snake care (necessary if you plan to breed them, a good idea even if you don't).
*A timer for your lighting and heating.
*Thermostat or rheostat for controlling heating devices.
Setting up the enclosure:
Rinse out the cage with very hot water, and dry it. Place the substrate in the bottom. Place one hiding cave one one end of the cage. Place the other hiding cave on the other end of the cage. Place watering dish wherever you like, as well as the other decorations. Be aware you will need to change the water daily, so don't cover the bowl or place things that will make it hard to take out. Stick one thermometer down low on one end of the cage, on the inside of the cage so that you can read it. Stick the other thermometer on the opposite side of the cage, either at a ground level or if you have placed branches, at the level of a sturdy basking spot that the snake might climb to (if using overhead heat). Place the humidity gauge down low in about the middle of the cage. If you are using an undertank heater, place this beneath one end of the cage, as far to that side as possible. If you are using an overhead heat source, screw in the bulb, and place the lamp on top of the screen on one side, as far to that side as possible (take care not to overlap plastic tank edges), so that it is pointing down into the tank.
Turn on the lamp, and leave the tank for about an hour. Come back, and read the temperature gauges. The warmest area of the cage should be 85 to 90 degrees. The cool side should be no more than 75 degrees. If the cage is cooler than this, you will need to either add another heat source (if using an undertank heater), or use a higher wattage bulb in your overhead lamp. If the cage is warmer than this, you will need a thermostat or rheostat for your undertank heater, to lower the temperature, or use a lower wattage bulb in your overhead light. Most undertank heaters get up to 110 degrees, so a rheostat is necessary. Checking the actual temperature of the cage floor is highly recommended when using an undertank heater. The surface should be no warmer than 90 degrees on the warm side of the cage. You can do this using a thermometer with a remote probe, and placing the probe on the cage floor. It is important to set this up before putting your snake into the enclosure, and preferably before bringing it home. A thermostat or rheostat is a good idea for regulating heat lamps as well, particularly if your indoor temperatures are subject to changes.
Most reptiles, including garter snakes, do best with a night time temperature drop. If your room stays above 65 degrees Farenheit, you can simply turn off the heating elements at night, or when you are done viewing your animals. If it drops too much lower (below 65), you may need to leave a heating source on overnight. Check your night time temperatures, and try to arrange it so that they fall 5 to 10 degrees at night. Try to provide your snake with very regular day and night schedules (a timer comes in handy). 12 hours of each is good.
Purchase frozen rodents of appropriate size (these should be as big around as the widest part of the snake), and nightcrawlers (available at bait shops), unless you know that your snake is already eating rodents. Garter snakes can be convinced to eat frozen/thawed rodents with a bit of patience--and it's well worth the time, because the other foods they eat are prone to transmitting dangerous parasites to them. Offer nightcrawlers first to make sure your garter is eating well--feed 3 times per week. Then, thaw one of the mice, rub a nightcrawler over it, and offer it to your snake. You may offer a nightcrawler along with it, as encouragement. Your snake may not accept this prey item at first. It can be refrozen once if it has been out no longer than 1/2 hour. Keep trying...eventually the snake will accept the mouse. After it is used to eating worm-scented mice, you can offer it plain mice. Mice should be fed once a week for juvenile snakes, and once every week or two for adults. A large adult garter snake may take two adult mice at a feeding. Many people will recommend that garter snakes be fed goldfish, guppies, or rosy reds. Guppies are ok for tiny snakes, but goldfish and rosy reds contain an enzyme that destroys an essential nutrient (thiaminase). Feeding these items can cause deficiency disease and death, over a long period of time. Caution: nightcrawlers, leaf worms, and red worms are safe for garter snakes to eat. Red wigglers (Eisenia foetida), the most common species used in vermicomposting, may be toxic and deadly to them.
Never feed a snake a live rodent. If the snake refuses thawed rodents (available at some pet stores, and through mail order), you may try pre-killing a live rodent for them. A live rodent can VERY easily injure a snake, in the close confines of a cage. In the wild, the snake can escape from overly aggressive prey, but wild snakes are still occasionally injured. You do not want this to happen to your pet. Garter snakes are not well adapted to feeding on rodents, though some do so in the wild, occasionally...the risk of injury from rodent bites is even greater for a garter snake. Baby rodents may contain less calcium than adults...some people recommend dipping their hindquarters in calcium powder before feeding them, and there is no problem with doing this.
To feed your snake, place the food in a seperate container, and put the snake into that container with its prey. This will prevent the snake from associating the opening of its cage, or your smell, with its food. Also, be sure to wash your hands very thoroughly after handling your snake's food, before you put your hands near your snake. Snakes have strong predatory instincts that are triggered by movement, and the scent of prey. Your snake may bite you if its predatory instinct is triggered by your hands, either because they smell like food, or because it's used to food coming when its cage is opened. This is not the snake's fault--it will usually let go of you immediately if you don't smell like food...it may hang on and try to eat your fingers if your hand DOES smell like food, because it doesn't yet realize that it's you. Once it realizes its mistake, it will let go. Bites due to feeding mistakes are the most common bites received by snake owners...they are always the fault of the keeper.
NEVER house more than one garter snake in a cage. Wild garter snakes prey on worms, fish, frogs, slugs, salamanders. Attempted cannibalism is a possibility, and not worth the risk. Usually garters will not actively set out to eat one another, unless one of them is very much smaller than the other, but if the other snake has the smell of food on it....well, then the risk is high.
Once every few months, completely clean the cage-remove all the furniture, throw out any loose bedding, and wash everything thoroughly with soap and water. Then soak it in a 10% bleach solution for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse very thoroughly, and let it dry. Dry any wood furniture in the sun, and replace it after it's completely dried and the bleach odor is gone. Do this also when preparing a cage that's been used before for a new animal.
About Garter Snakes:
These snakes are a good choice for a "first pet" snake. They are generally docile, hardy, and easy to care for. Adult females reach a size of up to 54 inches as adults, depending on species, with males being smaller and more slender. They can live for around 12 to 15 years in captivity. It takes most snakes around 2 or 3 years to reach breeding size, but they will continue to grow slowly over the course of their lives, once they reach that point. They come in a variety of color morphs and patterns, which are available from a few select breeders. Most garter snakes on the market will be wild caught, and it should be assumed that they have the internal parasites normal to wild animals. A fecal check should be done by a veterinarian soon after you acquire the animal, to identify what types of parasites are present, and treat the snake to eliminate them. Internal parasites can build to lethal levels in captivity, due to continual re-infection, so they must be eliminated promptly. Baby garter snakes will very delicate, and may be snappy, flighty, and defensive. Garters may also defecate on you, and release a pungent odor from musk glands inside their cloaca. If you work with them and handle them gently for 10 minutes or so every day, they will become used to you, and cease this defensive behavior. Many garter snakes calm down to the point where they may contentedly coil around your hands, without attempting to flee. Some garter snakes will bite. Bites from a garter snake will probably bleed, because their teeth are needle sharp, but they will not be painful. Garter snake saliva does contain venom, but they have no means to introduce it into the blood stream. You will most likely not even experience any redness or swelling from a garter snake bite. Nonetheless, you should not allow a garter snake to chew on you for a long time, and if you have an allergy to bee stings, be very aware of the fact that this snake produces true venom, and you may have a reaction to its bite. This snake is considered harmless because, to date, no one has experienced anything beyond an extremely mild reaction to its bite--and that only very rarely, under unusual circumstances.
To maintain it in the long term, have your snake checked by a veterinarian once a year for parasites or other health problems. If you notice your snake behaving abnormally, particularly if it stops eating, or seems less active than usual, seek medical care for it immediately. Reptiles do not usually show illness until they are seriously ill. Treated quickly, most garter snake illnesses are not serious, the majority being related to parasites or to an infection.
Some garter snakes may stop eating for a week or so before shedding their skin, something they will do several times a year (more when they are young). Before shedding, the snake's colors will become faded and dark, and its eyes will become cloudy. The snake is nearly blinded by this pre-shedding condition, and it may be irritable as a result. A snake "in the blue" (close to shedding) should not be handled, as the new skin beneath its old one might be damaged. They will also spend a lot of time soaking in their water dish. This will help loosen the skin so that it comes off easily. A snake's skin should come off in one intact piece. If it does not, the humidity in the cage is too low. Adding an airstone hooked to an air pump in its water dish may help raise the humidity. If your snake has skin retained over its eyes, they will need to be removed by a vet. Skin retained in other areas may be gently removed, after the snake has been placed in a plastic box (with air holes) and wet paper towels for a few hours. It should come off easily--if it does not, don't pull hard, as you may injure the snake. Take it to a vet to have the skin removed. Skin stuck around the snake's tail can cut off circulation, and lead to loss of the tail. Retained eye caps can lead to eye infections, so it's important to inspect the skin every time your snake sheds.
With the proper care, your garter snake should thrive problem free for its full lifespan.
© Eclipse Exotics, 2004. Distribute, copy, print, and pass on as you wish. :)