How to Take Care of a Garter Snake
Get an aquarium., Layer the bottom of the aquarium with substrate., Add a hide away., Have some things for the snake to climb upon., For the benefit of the snake when you first bring it home, put a cover, or a large towel (not a thick one, or it...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get an aquarium.
A baby garter snake should do well with a 5 gallon (18.9Â L) tank, while a large adult would do a lot better in a 15 gallon (56.8Â L) tank.
Don't make it too small since garter snakes are very active creatures, but they will also be extremely nervous in a large tank. -
Step 2: Layer the bottom of the aquarium with substrate.
You can safely use cypress mulch, bark nuggets, and wood shavings (Aspen is best, Pine is probably all right, but never use cedar).
Paper towels and newspaper are not good substrate, because many snakes prefer to burrow, and if they try to get under paper towels, they can become trapped and die.
Also, paper towels are very thin and if you use a heat pad, the snake can become overheated and severely injured. , A snake always needs a place to hide.
It should be pretty small, the snake should be able to curl up tightly.
It is even better if the snake can touch the the sides of the hide away when curled up.
Make sure the hiding place can not fall onto your snake this can kill or injure your snake , You will find that garter snakes like to climb.
Try a twisty tree climbing addition, but make sure it doesn't touch the top of the cage.
Garters are escape artists. , This helps it to de-stress, and feel a bit more safe, since the cover helps it to feel that it's not being hunted. , A stick on thermometer is not terribly accurate, but gives you the general idea.
It should be around 72 degrees at the cool end and 75 at the heated end.
If your cage is higher than 80 on the cool side your cage is too hot. , You can use heating pads/strips under one side of the enclosure as well as light bulb above it.
Heating pads/strips should cover one third to one half of the enclosure.
There should be a warm end of the enclosure and a cool end.
When using a light bulb, never use more than 15 watts, they could be burned.
Never use hot rocks.
Garter snakes have been burned and killed by hot rocks.
Also, never put them in direct sunlight, they can also be killed that way. , The humidity should be 50 to 60 percent. , It should be plastic, and big enough for the snake to bathe in.
Don't make it too big, just large enough for the snake to fit inside, as they enjoy swimming, and hunt their prey this way.
One of the most common mistakes with garter snakes is that they are semi aquatic.
They are not aquatic, not even semi aquatic, it is their prey that is aquatic.
If you keep it too moist, your snake could end up with a hard to treat blister disease. , Clean it out every three days to one week and clean and sterilize it every two-three months. , A garter snake is a carnivore and hunts prey, so you need to choose something for it to eat.
It may surprise you that frozen pinkie mice are the best option by far.
If you are uncomfortable with feeding your snake rodents you can feed them a mix of live or frozen fish, leeches, slugs, or worms.
Buy them from a store, and they will provide all the nutrients garter snakes need, and will not have any parasites or bacteria that could hurt your snake (notice that frozen means dead mice).
If your snake won't eat mice, It can eat a mixture of fish, worms, and maybe vitamin preservatives.
Slugs can be a treat to be given sometimes, but they can be hard to get.
Baby snakes can eat parts of a pinkie mouse twice a week, and adults can eat the appropriate sized mouse once a week.
The mouse should be about as big as the largest part of the snake.
A fish eater should eat every 5 to 6 days, and a worm eater twice a week.
You need to avoid fish with thiaminase, like goldfish.
Ask the person you buy the fish from about the fish. , That will probably scare it.
Leave its food in the middle.
Remember, they don't like jerky movements.
Be slow, but you can close the lid immediately after putting the food in. , Spread leaves and other things for the snake to hide behind, so it can ambush its prey.
Uneaten killed food should be removed within 24 hours, to prevent the growth of bacteria. , Cleaning the cage is not the most fun task in the world.
But to clean the cage, catch your garter snake and put it in another container a bit larger than its cage, (with holes in the top) and take out all of the things that are in the cage.
If you choose to use a type of wood shaving, just dump it out and replace it.
Never use soil, as it can carry parasites.
Spot clean fecal matter when it is seen. , The cage should be cleaned once monthly for young snakes, and every two weeks for adults, or when ever it starts to smell. , Snakes are not very active in the way of slithering around, they prefer to bask in one spot, among lots of thick decoration.
A bare cage makes for a scared snake. , Handling can be hard, but is a blast when done correctly.
To handle the snake, approach it slowly from the side.
Let it slither on to your hand, or scoop it up with gloves.
Then, just make slow movements with it.
Be careful and always support the snake's head and body.
Do not handle the snake for one hour after it has shed its skin.
The delay in handling will give the snake's new skin time to get used to the air and temperature, and your body salts and oils will damage its skin if held within the first hour.
Your garter snake should be protected from your cat, as the cat may kill it. -
Step 3: Add a hide away.
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Step 4: Have some things for the snake to climb upon.
-
Step 5: For the benefit of the snake when you first bring it home
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Step 6: put a cover
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Step 7: or a large towel (not a thick one
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Step 8: or it will run out of oxygen) around or over the tank.
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Step 9: Buy a thermometer.
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Step 10: Get some heat.
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Step 11: Ensure that the humidity is accurate.
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Step 12: Get a water bowl.
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Step 13: Change the water weekly
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Step 14: if not more often.
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Step 15: Feed the snake.
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Step 16: When feeding it
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Step 17: do not sling the snake's food at it.
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Step 18: If you choose to feed the snake food that is alive
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Step 19: (food that it hunts and kills)
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Step 20: create hiding spots.
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Step 21: Clean the cage regularly.
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Step 22: To clean the cage
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Step 23: hose it down with a few squeezes of mild soap and scrub it with a sponge or rag
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Step 24: then rinse twice.
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Step 25: Don't give the garter too much room
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Step 26: as they will become nervous and stressed.
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Step 27: Handle with care.
Detailed Guide
A baby garter snake should do well with a 5 gallon (18.9Â L) tank, while a large adult would do a lot better in a 15 gallon (56.8Â L) tank.
Don't make it too small since garter snakes are very active creatures, but they will also be extremely nervous in a large tank.
You can safely use cypress mulch, bark nuggets, and wood shavings (Aspen is best, Pine is probably all right, but never use cedar).
Paper towels and newspaper are not good substrate, because many snakes prefer to burrow, and if they try to get under paper towels, they can become trapped and die.
Also, paper towels are very thin and if you use a heat pad, the snake can become overheated and severely injured. , A snake always needs a place to hide.
It should be pretty small, the snake should be able to curl up tightly.
It is even better if the snake can touch the the sides of the hide away when curled up.
Make sure the hiding place can not fall onto your snake this can kill or injure your snake , You will find that garter snakes like to climb.
Try a twisty tree climbing addition, but make sure it doesn't touch the top of the cage.
Garters are escape artists. , This helps it to de-stress, and feel a bit more safe, since the cover helps it to feel that it's not being hunted. , A stick on thermometer is not terribly accurate, but gives you the general idea.
It should be around 72 degrees at the cool end and 75 at the heated end.
If your cage is higher than 80 on the cool side your cage is too hot. , You can use heating pads/strips under one side of the enclosure as well as light bulb above it.
Heating pads/strips should cover one third to one half of the enclosure.
There should be a warm end of the enclosure and a cool end.
When using a light bulb, never use more than 15 watts, they could be burned.
Never use hot rocks.
Garter snakes have been burned and killed by hot rocks.
Also, never put them in direct sunlight, they can also be killed that way. , The humidity should be 50 to 60 percent. , It should be plastic, and big enough for the snake to bathe in.
Don't make it too big, just large enough for the snake to fit inside, as they enjoy swimming, and hunt their prey this way.
One of the most common mistakes with garter snakes is that they are semi aquatic.
They are not aquatic, not even semi aquatic, it is their prey that is aquatic.
If you keep it too moist, your snake could end up with a hard to treat blister disease. , Clean it out every three days to one week and clean and sterilize it every two-three months. , A garter snake is a carnivore and hunts prey, so you need to choose something for it to eat.
It may surprise you that frozen pinkie mice are the best option by far.
If you are uncomfortable with feeding your snake rodents you can feed them a mix of live or frozen fish, leeches, slugs, or worms.
Buy them from a store, and they will provide all the nutrients garter snakes need, and will not have any parasites or bacteria that could hurt your snake (notice that frozen means dead mice).
If your snake won't eat mice, It can eat a mixture of fish, worms, and maybe vitamin preservatives.
Slugs can be a treat to be given sometimes, but they can be hard to get.
Baby snakes can eat parts of a pinkie mouse twice a week, and adults can eat the appropriate sized mouse once a week.
The mouse should be about as big as the largest part of the snake.
A fish eater should eat every 5 to 6 days, and a worm eater twice a week.
You need to avoid fish with thiaminase, like goldfish.
Ask the person you buy the fish from about the fish. , That will probably scare it.
Leave its food in the middle.
Remember, they don't like jerky movements.
Be slow, but you can close the lid immediately after putting the food in. , Spread leaves and other things for the snake to hide behind, so it can ambush its prey.
Uneaten killed food should be removed within 24 hours, to prevent the growth of bacteria. , Cleaning the cage is not the most fun task in the world.
But to clean the cage, catch your garter snake and put it in another container a bit larger than its cage, (with holes in the top) and take out all of the things that are in the cage.
If you choose to use a type of wood shaving, just dump it out and replace it.
Never use soil, as it can carry parasites.
Spot clean fecal matter when it is seen. , The cage should be cleaned once monthly for young snakes, and every two weeks for adults, or when ever it starts to smell. , Snakes are not very active in the way of slithering around, they prefer to bask in one spot, among lots of thick decoration.
A bare cage makes for a scared snake. , Handling can be hard, but is a blast when done correctly.
To handle the snake, approach it slowly from the side.
Let it slither on to your hand, or scoop it up with gloves.
Then, just make slow movements with it.
Be careful and always support the snake's head and body.
Do not handle the snake for one hour after it has shed its skin.
The delay in handling will give the snake's new skin time to get used to the air and temperature, and your body salts and oils will damage its skin if held within the first hour.
Your garter snake should be protected from your cat, as the cat may kill it.
About the Author
Megan Ford
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow creative arts tutorials.
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