Found Snake

[pnshmntMMA]

hey everyone, new to snakes here. just found a garter snake in my basement. forgot scientific name. i wanted to keep it and feed it for maybe a day or two then release it back into the yard. whats the deal with handling these wild caught snakes? likely to bite? would i even feel it? its about 5 inches long so i guess its a juv? thanks for any help. also what about feeding. i was thinking very small crickets because its head is about a half inch long. thanks for any help!

 

[Exo]

There was a thread not long ago involving garter snakes, use the search and you should be able to find it.

As far as biting goes, they have small teeth and depending on the size of the snake, they can cause small cuts, but that's it. They do spay a foul smelling liquid if frightened though, which is far worse than their bite. :barf:

 

[pouchedrat]

worms, fish, etc. I've been bitten by a garter before and it did bleed, but not sure how likely it is or how often it'd happen (it's only happened once and I've handled wild garters a lot as a kid).

usually it's not a good idea to keep wild caught snakes since it's hard to get them to eat in captivity, but a LOT of garters are wild caught that are kept in captivity... so... Also only a day or two I don't think it'll really eat during that time period, heh.

but I'm not a snake expert, so I'll leave it to others.

 

[pitbulllady]

Are you SURE it's a Garter Snake? Five inches is awfully small for what would have to be one of last year's babies, and Garters are only just now mating, so it can't be a neonate. Very often, I see people mistake Brown Snakes(Storeria dekayii) for Garters, since they can have a similar pattern, though not as noticeable as a typical Garter pattern.

That said, I've never had a Garter, wild-caught or otherwise, that wouldn't eat. Small Garters will usually devour earthworms with relish, and will also eat small fish or even strips of cut fresh fish(not frozen), tadpoles, small frogs or small toads. They can easily be "taught" to eat frozen-thawed pinkie mice by putting the pinkies in a ziplock bag with some pieces of fish or whole fish, putting that bag in the freezer, then letting the whole bag thaw up, so that the fish oils cover the pinkies and mask their smell. A reluctant feeder can be enticed to grab a pinkie by jiggling it with tweezers in front of the snake to mimic the flopping motion of a stranded fish. HOWEVER, if this snake is a Brown, and not a Garter, you will not get it to eat fish or pinkies. You'll be lucky to find one that eats earthworms in captivity. Browns can be very difficult to keep in captivity, and this is why you just don't see people keeping them in spite of their small, easy-to-manage size and docile nature. I've only had one that would eat readily in captivity, but all she would eat was slugs.

pitbulllady

 

[hassman789]

i feed my garter snake fish and worms. he hasnt bitten me yet but i havent handled him in a while because hes fast and i dont want him escaping (hes skittish and fast) and i dont wanna get musked.

 

[stevetastic]

I agree with pitbull lady. could also be a small Ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus) everyone around here calls them garter snakes (well they call them garden snakes)

If it is a garter it will smell something fowl! and they are very prone to giving a nip. doesn't hurt but there bites make me itch something fierce... maybe from the venom?

 

[Beardo]

I agree with pitbull lady. could also be a small Ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus) everyone around here calls them garter snakes (well they call them garden snakes)

If it is a garter it will smell something fowl! and they are very prone to giving a nip. doesn't hurt but there bites make me itch something fierce... maybe from the venom?

Umm....Garter Snakes are not venomous. :?

 

[stevetastic]

Umm....Garter Snakes are not venomous. :?

yep. They are. They have Duvernoy's Glands. They aren't harmful to anything but worms and small frogs and fish though.

 

[Beardo]

Haha....you're kidding right? Show me something that says Garter Snakes have fully functional venom delivery systems (i.e. glands, ducts & fangs).

 

[stevetastic]

look it up if you don't believe me.

 

[Beardo]

I'm pretty sure I can fnd numerous articles online that say Ball Pythons get 10 feet long and that Iguanas can live off cheeseburgers, but that doesn't make it true.

 

[stevetastic]

Duvernoy's Glands. Google it.

 

[Beardo]

I know what a Duvernoy's Gland is, smart guy.

If you believe everything you read on Wikipedia, I have some farmland in Florida to sell you.

 

[stevetastic]

i didn't get that info from wikipedia "smart guy"

 

[BlackCat]

I just got a garter snake almost a week ago and I've been reading up on them a lot.

They don't have venom like most snakes but their saliva can be toxic, which can cause itching and sometimes swelling.

Also.. a good article abotu feeding and caring for them: http://www.gartersnake.info/care/feeding.phtml

Hope that helps

 

[8by8]

http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/animalphysiology/websites/2008/Eskew/Evolution2.htm

 

[pnshmntMMA]

Umm....Garter Snakes are not venomous. :?

they are venomous. they have a neurotoxic venom that comes from teeth way in the back. completely harmless except for itching

 

[pnshmntMMA]

also im not 'keeping a wild caught snake'. i just want to observe it for a day or so, to learn about it. like that more than looking at pictures. definately going to release it where i usually find them outside in the back yard. thanks for all the help everyone. much appreciated A-boards people rock :clap:

 

[myrmecophile]

Garters do indeed have the ability to produce venom. However as has been said they lack the sophisticated delivery system needed to produce a medically significant toxic bite. Dr Brian Fry has done a tremendous amount of work proving that many snakes long thought to be venomless actually do produce toxic saliva.
http://www.venomdoc.com/venomdoc/Venomdoc.html

 

[pouchedrat]

I believe garters are rear-fanged (like my two little ring-neck snakes are).

I've thought of adding a garter or two to my now-three snakes, but not before I find a male egg eater (why are they so hard to find..). those blue florida garters are beautiful!