When people hear the words garter snake, they usually think of the small black and yellow snake they see in their back yard or the most commonly seen snake in pet shops. However, garter snakes are a diverse species that cover a wide range of North America, and can display brilliant coloration.    It is an underrated species that doesn’t get much acknowledgement here in the United States, but is a popular species in the reptile hobby in Europe.

 

Garter snakes are a diverse species that cover a wide range of North America, and can display brilliant coloration. They are all made up of different coloration. Some are black with light blue dorsal and lateral stripes, some are black with red lateral spotting and yellow bellies, the Eastern Florida Garter snake is a beautiful turquoise, the Plains Garter snake is black with an orange dorsal stripe and yellow lateral stripes, and so on. Garter snakes are even being selectively bred for the same types of morphs that Corn snakes are being bred for. . 

 

People typically think of a garter snake as a cheap, low costing pet. However, their price is almost equivalent and can even be more expensive than Corn snakes. Captive bred garter snakes start as low as $25 (for a normal eastern, plains, checkered garter snake) to as high as $450 (for a paradox leucistic eastern garter).

 

In captivity, garter snakes make excellent pets. While corn snakes, milksnakes and kingsnakes are nocturnal (active at night), garter snakes are diurnal (active during the day). This makes them a pleasure to have because they are always out and around during the day and makes viewing one’s pets easier and more delightful.

 

Their care also makes them an excellent candidate for best pet snake. They are tolerant of cooler temperatures. Garter snakes require a basking spot and usually an enclosure that has an ambient temperature of 80 degrees, but can thrive at a daytime room temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit and a nighttime temperature as low as 60-65 degrees. The basking spot is needed to thermoregulate their body, helping them to maintain the optimum body temperature as well as digest properly.

 

As far as their enclosure, simple is best for garter snakes. Garter snakes appreciate naturalistic enclosures that have plenty of live or plastic plants for hiding, a water source for soaking, and a naturalistic hide. But what I find most effective and efficient for garter snakes is a simple set up. One can either use a glass aquarium, more expensive commercial made enclosures, custom built enclosures or even a Rubbermaid tub. All of those would be sufficient in housing a garter snake. 

 

Substrate is another issue people have different ideas about concerning garter snakes. There is a variety of substrates that can be used. A naturalistic substrate such as sand, soil and leaf litter mixture can be used. Commercially prepared substrates such as orchid bark, Bed-A-Beast, forest bedding, and Keepers Choice could all be used. They are aesthetically pleasing, but makes clean up difficult. With my experience, newspaper or paper towel is the easiest to use. While it is not really appealing to the eye, it does make cleaning the enclosure much easier. Garter snakes have a fast metabolism, and it causes them to defecate (go to the bathroom) much more frequently than other snakes. It is not uncommon for a garter snake to go to the bathroom a few hours after it ate. So using a simple substrate makes keeping them much easier.

 

When it comes to feeding garter snakes, there are many options. They are opportunistic feeders and in the wild they might consume fish, frogs, tadpoles, earthworms, small mammals and other things. In captivity, they will take goldfish, minnows, guppies, tadpoles and earthworms. The fish can either be left in the water bowl for the garter snakes to hunt or can be kept frozen, and then thawed out and fed by tweezers. Garter snakes will also readily accept pieces of catfish filet (that can be found in the seafood section of any supermarket). When feeding them a diet such as that, their meals need to be supplemented with calcium and other vitamin dust which both can be purchased in a pet store. 

 

The better food to feed a garter snake would be mice. Baby garter snakes can take down pinky parts and even whole newborn pinkies. This is a better source of nutrients for them considering they are getting their calcium and the vitamins they need from the mouse. At first the garter snake might refuse the pinky. If it refuses the pinky, then the next step is to tease the garter snake. By tapping the snake in the tail, you can aggravate the snake into possibly taking the pinky. If that does not work, the next step is to scent the pinky. To scent a pinky, one would have to either take a frozen piece of fish and rub the guts of the fish onto the pinky, or take an earthworm and rub its slime onto the pinky. The scent on the pinky should cause the garter snake to take it. If those two do not work, one could also use catfish filet. Take a piece of catfish filet and rub the pinky with it. 

 

So while garter snakes are a commonly found reptile in everyone’s backyard, that shouldn’t take anything away from them. They are interesting animals and can truly make an excellent pet.