Didn't see this comming....

[garterchick]

Came home yesterday to 14 healthy and beautiful albino checkered garter babies, no slugs, no stillborn . I had no idea that mom was gravid, actually I just noted to myself that she's now big enough to brumate and breed next Spring.
My question is now weather I should brumate her this Winter since she's kind of skinny and I don't know that I can fatten her up in time. Then again, she didn't need brumation this time so maybe I'll just keep her out of the fridge.
Pictures to follow soon....

[guidofatherof5]

She's going to want to eat under most situations. She may want to brumate later in the year or even early next year. Even a short brumation(a month) could benefit her.

We've all waited long enough. We want pictures

[drache]

congrats Tina
I don't think of marcis as needing brumation to breed, since their natural range is pretty southern and includes large areas where temps never dip low enough to make brumation necessary for survival

[ssssnakeluvr]

Congrats!!!! southern snakes don't need the real cold brumation....temps in those areas drop during the winter, but are general warm enough for them to stay active.

[DavidD]

I don't brumate any of my gaters I just put a male in with each female in the spring and leave them for a month

[gregmonsta]

Congrats

[charles parenteau]

very good congradulation!!

[ConcinnusMan]

I don't brumate any of my gaters I just put a male in with each female in the spring and leave them for a month

Hmm... might work if you go out in the spring and catch them, and throw them together but for captives, how would they know it's spring if there has been no winter? Mine never would breed unless they knew the season. Sure, it happens, but mine never did when I skipped the cool-down period. Same goes for my spiny lizards. Sure, they are active year-round in southern parts of their ranges, but without some kind of seasonal influence, no breeding happens. Occasionally a female garter, after shedding, will smell "attractive" to a male, and he'll try, usually unsuccessfully, to fertilize her.