how to tell if a garter snake is pregnant

Garter snakes, while small in size, have been quite full of discoveries. Feeding your newly hatched snake may be tricky. If a baby snake does not shed after two weeks, there could be something wrong with your snake, and you might need to seek help from a veterinarian or snake breeder. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. Retrieved August 11, 2022, from https://www.snakesforpets.com/garter-snake-pet-care/. Black-neck garter snakes come from a hot climate, so they will appreciate the extra warmth and brightness. In the wild, garter snakes live for around 5 years. 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. After mating, females store sperm in their bodies until they want to fertilize their eggs. At Embora Pets we are passionate about pets and love sharing our knowledge and research with you.We strive to be the ultimate resource for you to learn all that you can about caring for your pet! This question is dependent on the situation the snake is in. The simple answer is yes. MLA Style: Carter, Lou. Be gentle as youdo this. 8. (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? These are the eggs inside the snake. Although the size of the nest box will depend on the species of snake, it should typically be a relatively small space. All rights reserved. So, if youre a beginner, youre better off opting for one of these snakes. But aside from size, how can you determine if you are looking at a garter snake? Other breeders prefer to handle the eggs themselves and keep them warm using artificial methods. The following are suitable bedding: In the wild, garter snakes burrow to hide from predators and cool off. Its a good idea to provide a dry hide box as well. Know what a hog-nosed snake (Heterodon species) looks like. Garter snakes are ideal for new snake owners because their care needs are limited. Its also best to avoid handling during this time, not only to prevent causing her unnecessary stress, but your snake will also likely become more aggressive while pregnant. What Smells Deter Cats from Peeing? For example, a 12 x 8 cage has a perimeter of 40. The easiest way to accommodate your snake is to purchase an aquarium tank or reptile cage (vivarium) with a lockable lid. You should make sure that your female snake has a basking place with a temperature of at least 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Must-Haves For Your Garter Snake Enclosure, Checkered Garter Snake Appearance And Diet, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window). 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. Not that they have a lot of choice in the matter. Garter snakes are ovoviviparous which means they lay their eggs inside their body and then produce their young live. To hear more about the confusion between garden and garter snakes check out this snake owner article on garter vs. garden snakes. 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. Juvenile garter snakes (0-2 years) should be fed once every 2-3 days, and adults can be fed once a week. Some owners believe that lighting is unnecessary. Remove objects and debris from your yard. However, this is not a singular indicator because theircolor could change during other stages of thecycle and not just pregnancy. Garter snakes come in various colors often black or brown, though red, green, and other colors are possible as well. The garter snakes theory is that if my predators think I smell bad theyll think Ill taste bad. Unfortunately, though you are not a predator, you can seem like one. The substrate should be spot cleaned 2-3 times per week (as required) and replaced entirely every 3 weeks. Do not exceed this amount as a calcium overdose can be toxic. The common garter snake is the one thats most frequently encountered in the wild. It has the following physical characteristics: Ribbon snakes look very similar to common garter snakes, but there are some differences: The checkered garter snake is favored for its calm temperament. This can be as official as pet store snake bedding or as simple as shredded newspaper. If there is excess mucus in its mouth, then it may have a respiratory condition. 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. Think of cat eyes or Voldemort. Garter snakes are typically small reptiles, with a length between 23 - 30 inches. No need to rush things, right? You should aim for the cooler end of the cage to be around 70F (21C). Youll want to get some form of bedding. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. 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). Garter snakes are poikilothermic ectotherms. 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. Last Updated: August 10, 2021 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. Common garter snakes do not have this bold line separating the back and the stomach. Some subspecies have rarely been kept in captivity, so herpetoculturists havent had the chance to observe their behavior. Like most snakes, though, garter snakes are able to pick up on chemical trails with their tongue. Garter snakes areovoviviparous which means they lay their eggs inside their body and then produce their young live. Pet Keen is reader-supported. Depending on the species of snake, your female may be pregnant even though she hasnt mated with a male. Affiliate Disclosure: When possible, Embora Pets uses affiliate links (at no additional cost to you). How long can a garter snake get? Remove your snake to a second secure tank so you can clean the tank/vivarium thoroughly. Make sure it has a lid. Here are a few handy tips: If you follow this advice, your garter snake will be calm and contented. Remove any sources of food for the snakes. During this time, she will refuse food in favorof keeping her clutch safe. Thats why you need to create a temperature gradient in its vivarium. If the snake is sluggish and doesnt move around in your hands, this is a sign of illness or disease. Ollie, originally from the USA, holds his master's degree in wildlife biology and moved to Australia to pursue his career and passion but has found a new love for working online and writing about animals of all types. Like all animals, if the garter snake is threatened than it will attack whatever is threatening it. If you have a snake, like a Ball Python, that is naturally inclined to care for her clutch, one of the first things you need to decide is whether or not you are going to let your female snake do the job of warming the eggs and keeping them at the appropriate temperatures. [1] 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. But the need for brumation changes this temporarily. If youre mating 2 snakes, install a reptile basking light. Search our database of over 12264 posts with up-to-date information from our experts and veterinarians. The second story is that the name garter snake comes from the German word for garden. The ribbon snake has a longer tail than most other types of garter snake. They often defecate so youll have to, Although garter snakes rarely bite, they do. This can include up to 25 male snakes. Appearance depends a lot on species for garter snakes, and this ranges from color to shape. They can store sperm for up to five years! Typically, these stripes will be a kind of yellow color, but it can vary a bit. She has owned and cared for many breeds of dogs including her German Shepherd named Jet. These snakes are relatively small as they only grow to an average of 23 to 30 inches. Not that they are signing on for a big commitment as a parent though. Its not recommended. By using our site, you agree to our. This can be tricky becausesome female snakes might show signs of pregnancy right away while others take longer to show. So, are all garter snakes suitable for keeping as pets? Related Read:11 Snakes That Give Live Birth Like Mammals. For example, because Burmese Pythons typically stay with their eggs and warm them, they need a space large enough to wrap themselves around their eggs. They like yourflowerbeds as much as you do. Journalists and bloggers across the web continue to use us as a trusted source and often link to our articles. The most common way to tell garter snakes apart from other snakes is their color: they have dark bodies with three yellow stripes cascading down their backs. Their collective body heat keeps the whole group warm and safe through the winter. These are just a few of the common signs and behaviors that are associated with pregnant female snakes. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. Your pregnant female will eat little or not at all during this period, and this is nothing to worry about and perfectly normal. Garter snakes are small, common snakes that many people keep as pets but are widely found in the wild as well. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. The Following Video Shows How They Scan For A Pregnancy, Pregnancy And Birth Maintains A Health Ecosystem, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window). Any fish the garter snake could eat would be too small for human consumption. After they are rinsed off, place them on a paper towel in a safe container. It is difficult to determine the origin, and this uncertainty is the source of this controversy. Try dangling some food in front of your snake using tongs to see if this encourages your snake to eat. This theory may seem more likely than the previous one, considering that it is consistent with how language works. {"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":"