Species group: Garter and Ribbon Snakes
Scientific name: Thamnophis radix
The Plains Garter Snake is common in the Great Plains of the US and southern Canada. It is found in southern Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, southward through the Great Plains to northern Texas, and eastward to Illinois, Ohio, and Missouri. Its habitats include moist pastures, meadows, marshes, and prairies. It is also seen in farmlands and vacant urban sprawls.
Appearance / health:
Plains Garter Snakes mature to about 40 inches in length, with the females longer and bulkier than males. The base body color ranges from light olive to brownish or grayish green, sometimes black. Three longitudinal yellowish orange stripes are present on the back; the middle stripe is more prominent than the two lighter side stripes. Typically, there is a row of black spots below the lateral stripes. The belly is often cream to grayish blue. The head is brown or black with two small yellow dots on top. There are black bars on the labial scales. The back scales are keeled.
Behavior / temperament:
Plains Garter Snakes are shy and spend most of their time basking. They are diurnal, actively hunting during the day. When threatened, a Plains Garter Snake will hardly bite; instead, it will coil, raise its tail and wag it slowly, then release a foul smelling musk to repel its predator.
Plains Garter Snakes are best kept in a medium to large savannah-type terrarium decorated with stones, driftwood or roots, and cork bark for hiding. Substrate should be absorbent like newspaper or aspen shaving. A large water dish should be available for drinking and soaking. Day temp: 75-79F; night temp: 61-68F; humidity: 50-60%; lighting: 12 hours.
These Garter Snakes get along well together; therefore, they can be kept in groups. Fresh water should be provided daily and substrate should be replaced regularly.
Plains Garter Snakes feed on a variety of prey including small mammals, frogs, fish, earthworms, insects, salamanders, and bird eggs.
Plains Garter Snakes give birth to live young. They mate in the spring and deliver the litter of 5-70 young in late summer or fall.
Beautiful Garter snakes, excellent reptile pets, fun, stunning species
wild-caught garter, wildcaught ones, internal parasites, fast friend
80F ambient temperatures, multivitamin supplement, small adult size, crickets
Underrated and Beautiful
Garter snakes in general tend to be underrated as 'common' and 'cheap'. These snakes actually make excellent reptile pets, and deserve far more serious attention. Commonly found in their range in the US, even in urban areas, these snakes are hardy, intelligent, and have beautiful colors.
Plains garter snakes have a slightly more nervous disposition than their Eastern garter snake cousins, and they don't grow quite as large. However, they are quite docile, and rarely bite even when captured from the wild. They will whip their tail around and musk, however. They quickly calm with regular handling, and will cease the musking behavior once they are used to handling.
These snakes have excellent eyesight, and are quick and intelligent. This makes them effective escape artists, so provide a secure cage, and keep a close watch when you open it--they will often dive for it the moment they see an opening.
Temperatures are usual for a temperate species--90 F basking with 80F ambient temperatures during the day. At night, the heat can be turned off and the cage allowed to drop to room temperature (about 70 F at the lowest).
These snakes are awake during the day, and love the sun, making them easy to observe. They will probably appreciate overhead lighting, and will benefit from UVB lighting, though they do not require it to produce vitamin D3.
Plains garters will eat earthworms, slugs, salamanders, frogs, fish, and small rodents. It's best to switch them over to mice in captivity. "Scenting" over with earthworms can quickly convince a snake that is unfamiliar with rodents to try them. If you get a wild-caught garter, this should be done soon after capture. The snake must be vetted and treated for internal parasites. Garter snakes tend to be heavily parasitized, and internal parasites can build up and kill captive animals.
New captives are at their most vulnerable, and should be kept in quiet, clean, and dry conditions.
Provide a water bowl for soaking, but don't fill it too deeply. Be sure that the cage bedding stays dry, as these snakes are highly susceptable to blister disease, particularly when acclimating to captivity. Other health issues are fairly uncommon, so long as proper conditions are provided. These snakes love to swim, so take care that they don't soak their cage in the process.
These garters require brumation (a cooling period) to breed. Females are significantly larger than males, and as with most Thamnophis species, their breeding behavior is unusual. Huge crowds of males will follow and attempt to breed with single females, resulting in what is known as a 'mating ball'. There can be hundreds of males swarming around a single female, in some cases. Garter snakes do not lay eggs, but instead give birth to live offspring, nurtured within them by internal yolks and a very primitive placenta-like organ.
Plains garters are available in a small variety of color morphs, and their natural color variations are impressive. Their small adult size makes them ideal for first-time and veteran snake keepers alike. Hunt around, and find captive-bred offspring for best results--or capture and establish your own, if you are somewhat experienced.
From WingedWolfPsion May 18 2009 3:31PM
Great starter snakes, but please don't just grab them out of the wild.
I've had many garters throughout the years, and I've been happy with them all. This story, however, is a cautionary tale.
I received this Sam from a friend that no longer had the inclination to take care of him. He knew I had several snakes and knew how to take care of them, so asked me to take this one in.
Sam was more aggressive than my other garter snakes, and didn't like to be held. But he ate well, so I wasn't concerned, just thought my friend didn't handle him often.
One weekend, when I was out of town, my (much) younger brother decided he wanted to play with one of my snakes. Since most of my garters were used to being held, this had never been an issue. This time, he grabbed Sam, who got aggressive and bit my brother. When my brother dropped Sam, he tried to "climb" my wicker chair and got wrapped up inside it. My brother panicked and tried to yank Sam out, but accidentally tore off his head.
My friend later told me that Sam was wild and he'd caught him in a local wooded lot.
This is an extreme and graphic example of why you should not try to make pets of wild animals, unless you are a trained professional. It can be very detrimental to you and the animal..
From dchristian0879 Oct 11 2015 8:24PM