If you think your garter snake is pregnant congratulations! This is the same for species of snakes, such as garter snakes, that give birth to live young. Oliver (Ollie) Jones - A zoologist and freelance writer living in South Australia with his partner Alex, their dog Pepper, and their cat Steve (who declined to be pictured). (+Recognizing A Problem). Certain snakes such as the garter snake and the rattlesnake collect themselves into a large mass of snake in order to keep themselves warm through the winter. Keep the base of your cage clean and dry to stop your snake from developing a blistered skin. Its true that many garter snakes could live healthy lives without additional lighting. Snakes will typically only reproduce anywhere from once or twice a year to every three years. Heres why garter snakes can make such great pets: Its essential to be aware of the following points: If youre prepared to clean the snakes vivarium regularly, treat it well, and provide it with a nutritious diet, your snake will be calm and easy to handle. Once the female lays her eggs, avoid moving them so that no damage is caused to the young. This is why you see garter snakes basking themselves on rocks in the morning sun. You wouldnt think that the name of a snake would be that big of a deal, but, crazy as it may seem, it is. This may happen many times while your snake gets acquainted with you. Your female may stop eating, become more aggressive, change color, and prefer the cooler area of her tank suddenly, all of which could be potential signs of pregnancy. Some unique characteristics that garter snakes can have are thicker bodies, ridges on the back, and even, if you get close enough to see, tongues with two different colors on them. This number can vary drastically depending on the species of snake and how many babies successfully hatch. One of the first things you will want to do is rinse the baby snakes off with water to remove any remaining goo. So while not pleasant when they do attack, it is not something you should be overly concerned about. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Naturally, since they dont have to take care of their young, there isnt too much of an issue with the number of babies that they have so long as they have the energy to keep up with the pregnancy process. Ask your breeder questions before taking your snake home. This can be as official as pet store snake bedding or as simple as shredded newspaper. Keeping the correct temperature consistent is vital, and though she will naturally seek out cooler parts of her tank, she may still want to lay under a heat lamp occasionally too. Sometimes they will eat something even large than this, though this can sometimes cause digestion problems if it is too big. If you are close enough to a garter snake to look at its eyes, you should see that they are likely a yellowish-gold color and that they have round pupils. All snakes are capable of eating anything that can fit inside the largest part of its body. Garter snakes, while small in size, have been quite full of discoveries. This theory may seem more likely than the previous one, considering that it is consistent with how language works. Some male snakes will release the same mating based pheromone to attract other males to them. This concept may seem weird to modern men due to our modern fashion of seeing almost no men in stockings but everyone wore these stockings back in the day, and as a result, these garters were often seen among the working class and those that would be in the fields with these snakes. Youll want to get some form of bedding. When holding a garter snake in your hands, youll need to provide support to the snakes to prevent it from slipping through your fingers. Forms in which the stripes are obscure or lacking are often called grass snakes. Nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, anxiety, headaches, dizziness and blurred vision. Not that they have a lot of choice in the matter. Because garter snakes are non-threatening towards humans, people assume that they do not produce venom. In addition to their markings, garter snakes have the following characteristics: These features are all found in garter snakes, though do bear in mind that there are some differences within the species. Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve. The name garter snake has been in use for over 200 years, but that length of use does not help to pin down information about the names origin. The snake will lie down on its back. 11 Snakes That Give Live Birth Like Mammals. Garter snakes will be much easier to keep clean in a laboratory-style tank which has some well-chosen pieces of furniture and suitable substrate. Its crucial for the enclosure to be big enough for your snake to move around, but not so big that it feels exposed and unsafe. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. According to most sources, there are 34 different subspecies of garter snake. Motherhood for a snake isnt muchas, since garter snakes do not care for their young, motherhood is only pregnancy. Unlike other snakes that are ambush hunters, the garter snake is an active hunter. In snakes such as pythons, their coloring might change due to their reproduction cycle. Knowing what climate your snake originates from will be helpful in recreating that climate during breeding time. This can be tricky becausesome female snakes might show signs of pregnancy right away while others take longer to show. Because they use their environment to regulate their body temperature, they need to be able to warm up and cool down according to their needs. Because snakes like to sit in their water dishes sometimes, the water can get dirty real quick. The most popular garter snakes to keep as pets are: These subspecies are known to have a relaxed temperament, feeding well, and thriving in captivity. The greatest risk from a garter snake bite would be the risk of infection if you didnt clean the wound properly. This article has been viewed 22,295 times. Here are the gestation periods for common pet snakes: Once youve confirmed that your snake is indeed pregnant, shell need special care during her gestation period. There are many ways to tell when your precious snake is expecting. Embora Pets is a website full of resources created for pet owners by pet owners. They will leave as soon as they are warmed up and often head off to the nearest female that is releasing pheromones, but now they are warm and able to continue mating for a long while. It is also important to keep the water clean. If the creature is able to resist and fight back, then the garter snake has been seen to use constriction to kill the creature first, but it is rarely necessary so long as they are able to successfully sneak up on their prey. Female snakes tend to avoid eating while they are pregnant. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. Yellow stripes on a black, brown or greenish background. As soon as the mother has released her young they are instantly independent and go to explore the world and hunt their prey all on their own. Central-America; No matter the temperament, your snake may get defensive. The babies are approximately 15cm at birth and reach full size when they are about three years old. Selective Breeding Wanting Certain Characteristics, Survival Of Eggs Requires The Right Temperatures, The Breeding Of Corn Snakes are dictated by the season. This can create a bit of a problem when you are trying tobreed your snake. Since garter snakes are aquatic in nature they like water. A good way to combat this is by making sure she is properly fed before breeding begins. Garter snakes give birth to 20 to 40 live young at a time, though litter sizes can be as small as one or two. They do not need a specific climate to survive. The simplest way to create a temperate gradient is to place a reptile heating pad on the base of the cage and set it to a temperature of 84F. She has owned and cared for many breeds of dogs including her German Shepherd named Jet. Though most garter snakes have these stripes in their patterns, some garter snakes have almost no stripes and some have a checkered pattern instead of stripes. As always, be careful when you are breeding your snakes because some snakes can become aggressive before and even after mating. It will also give the snakes home a more authentic look. If youre trying to introduce a new food, but youre not having any success, try scenting the new food with the food that your snake is already accustomed to eating. Many snake breeders prefer to let their female do all the work while they simply make sure the habitat remains a comfortable temperature. (Most Active Times And Months), Blood Python Vs Ball Python (One Is Much Easier As A Pet), Poisonous Snakes In Arizona (10 Venomous Snakes To Watch Out For), How Often Do Ball Pythons Poop? Besides how disgusting this is, it is a very ineffective and slow acting process which has led to the gartersnake not using this approach to attempt advancing its hunting efforts. Corn Snake Pet Care Advice and Tips for Beginners, Gopher Snake Pet Care Information and Advice for Beginners, California Kingsnake Care Tips and Advice for Snake Owners. Garter snakes rely on pheromones to facilitate mating. Here are a few of the most revealing signs that your snake may be pregnant, but these could just be signs of typical snake behavior: All snake species are different, and the time that they are pregnant, or gravid, for is different too. The ribbon snake has a longer tail than most other types of garter snake. To hear more about the confusion between garden and garter snakes check out this snake owner article on garter vs. garden snakes. I have only been up close and personal with snakes a handful of times in my life, and there is a lot I want to know about snakes. Some females will eat only smaller portions of food, so try to offer your female some food but dont force her to eat. Once again there is no hard proof for or against this theory. This question is dependent on the situation the snake is in. Although the size of the nest box will depend on the species of snake, it should typically be a relatively small space. Wear protective gloves (snakes carry salmonella), Empty everything from the tank and dispose of the substrate, The furniture, food bowl, and tank should also be sterilized, Once youve rinsed the tank, apply a pet-safe disinfectant, Disinfect any cleaning equipment youve used, and get rid of any single-use items, such as DIY hides, Once the tank is dry, put everything back inside, If youre struggling to get the warmer side of your cage to 84 F with a heat mat alone, and the. Embora Pets is everywhere! Check periodically for health problems, such as worms, mites, blister disease, and gastrointestinal parasites. When the eggs begin hatching, do not remove the baby snake from the egg yourself. Lets say that you have a Python with a particularly pretty pattern, and you want to breed thatpython so that you can have other snakes with similar beautiful patterns, this is selective breeding. The first thing you will need to know is that these snakes are friendly, or rather, they are not aggressive, as it is hard to say if a snake is ever truly friendly. Since snakes dont care for their young after they hatch or are born, it is up to you to make the decision of raising several extra mouths. Once your baby snakes hatch, you will be in charge of caring for them. The easiest way to confirm that your snake is pregnant is to visit your local veterinarian and have them do an x-ray or ultrasounds, but there are a few other telling signs. It can cope with a wide range of temperatures so it can be spotted in most parts of America. Snakes have hemite penises, hemipenises, one along the side here and one along the side here to the vent. Reptilemagazine.com has some great articles on several species of snakes. That doesnt mean there arent variances within the species though. Typically, these stripes will be a kind of yellow color, but it can vary a bit. How To Tell If A Snake Is Pregnant Your snake will not eat. Black-neck garter snakes come from a hot climate, so they will appreciate the extra warmth and brightness. All rights reserved. However, in some cases, more lighting could make a positive difference: Get a humidity gauge to monitor the humidity in the vivarium. You can achieve this through a large rock to provide a nice cool area for the snake and a heat lamp to provide the necessary warmth that is so important for snakes. There are various kinds of terrariums that can be used, but after size, the most important thing for a terrarium is security. You and the garter snake will be happier if you allow for this short time period. Ribbon snakes love water, but are excellent climbers too. Controlling temperature is the largest factor in ensuring that your eggs survive till hatching time. When a snake is about to shed its skin, it may lose its appetite for several days. It goes on, but you generally get the point. Common garter snakes do not have this bold line separating the back and the stomach. Make sure that there are no visible blisters on the skin. Garter Snake Care Advice for Beginners. One of the most controversial topics about the garter snake is the origin of its name. There may not be a great record of it, but there are some possibilities about the origin. Garter snakes are small, common snakes that many people keep as pets but are widely found in the wild as well. Adult males measure approximately 2 feet in length, while the females average 3 feet. Today we cover everything you need to know to take care of them. So for the garter snake as a species,understanding the origin of its name gives it more identity. If you want to buy a garter snake, look for a local snake breeder in your area. Pet Snakes That Eat Vegetables (With Video), Check there are no protruding bones as this could indicate that theres an injury. And Can They See in the Dark? Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. So, are all garter snakes suitable for keeping as pets? Know what an indigo snake (Drymarchon species) looks like. Given this limitation, the snakes cannot be picky anything that can fit inside their mouth. Garter snakes should never be housed in aquatic or semi-aquatic tanks because theyll quickly develop blisters on their scales. They are quick to adapt to their surroundings and easy to care for, so they do make good pets. Do Ferrets Need Vaccination Shots? These snakes are relatively small as they only grow to an average of 23 to 30 inches. % of people told us that this article helped them. They need a meat-based diet to grow and thrive. The snake will stay in sunny areas this will be the case as they are warming their pregnant body up. Related Read:11 Snakes That Give Live Birth Like Mammals. So, if you find yourself sexually interested in a man, snakes may begin to appear in your dreams in a non-threatening manner. Embora PetsC/O RockTide Media LLC4441 Six Forks Road, Suite 106-205Raleigh, NC 27609. If you intend to capture a wild garter snake yourself, you should check federal and state laws before doing so because this may not be legal, or you may need a license to do so. Snakes do not give birth through the mouth, Exo Terra Repti-Glo 2.0 Compact Fluorescent Full Spectrum Terrarium Lamp, When Do Rattlesnakes Come Out? Some baby snakes may refuse to eat. "Garter Snake Care Advice for Beginners" Snakes For Pets, (August 11, 2022), https://www.snakesforpets.com/garter-snake-pet-care/. As for the care of a garter snake, you will want to have a range of temperatures within the terrarium of your pet. Thats why I set up snakesforpets.com to answer every question that you could ever have about snakes as pets (and how they survive in the wild.) Each article deals with a particular species breeding needs. After they lay their eggs, some female snakes are known to abandon them and discontinue all care. If you need to move the eggs, mark the top to help yourself know which way you picked it up so you can avoid rotating it. These are the eggs inside the snake. The lack of specialized senses may be another reason that garter snakes are considered more harmless than other snakes. Use snake repellent. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/3a\/Identify-Garden-Snakes-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Identify-Garden-Snakes-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/3a\/Identify-Garden-Snakes-Step-1.jpg\/aid5538102-v4-728px-Identify-Garden-Snakes-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"