american /european selection?

[ClosedCasket88]

how come it seems as europe and canada seem to have more breeders/hobbyist than in america. i cant find anything kool at any east coast shows or anywere worth or ding offline in the US .
you guys are lucky , yous got all the goodies
some european garter dealers pages just put me in shock
very jealous

[Thamnophis]

Maybe it has (partly) to do with lawas in different states?

[ssssnakeluvr]

yea, laws are a little different...one problem I have seen here inthe U.S. is that a lot of people consider them "beginner" snakes. Lots of people catch garters and their snake interest takes off. They move on to others and ignore garters.....I think they are as pretty if not prettier than most other snakes. I have had all sorts from boas, pythons, kings, corns, to venomous....have always had garters. I have gotten seriouis about garters in the last few years.

[ClosedCasket88]

yeah i was the same way ,after catching snakes as a kid then moving onto rats,corns and kingsnakes and such but ive been gettin extremely serious about garters i just dont know if theyl sell good. i dont want to be stuck with 100 garters. speaking of wich . anyone relativly close to the east coast US area want to buy some CB eastern garters this fall ?

[Stefan-A]

Well you can always throw them in the freezer if or when you get stuck with a 100 snakes. It's pretty harsh, but you might have to consider it.

[ssssnakeluvr]

They should sell ok...Scott Felzer always sells out his stock..and he has a lot more than 100 snakes! Are your easterns normal?? I am always looking to increase my collection...

[Valley Pets]

I know here on the east coast where I am that there is nobody breeding garters...I'm pretty sure I'm the only one breeding these guys here...I no that there's a lot more when you go across the border in to the states... I find that the market for the garters here is quite small.. I hope that they catch on here as much as they have in some other areas...
Either way, they are here to stay in my collection!
Ryan-Valley Pets

[ClosedCasket88]

yes the easterns are regulars ,the adults are wild ones i kept becuase they got real kool looking turqoise in them , espescialy the male, im wondering what the babies will look like , you never know with the easterns ,thast why i like them , there like a box of chocolates

if any ones a full brood of babies i will glady ship em all out to anyone relativly close , as long as it dont take more than a day or so shipping , shipping small snakes scares me

[Cazador]

I suspect that since there is at least one species of wild garter across all of the lower 48 states, most people would rather catch their own than buy from someone else. Also, without doing research on the internet, most people are unaware of the huge differences between each garter species. Most people have no desire or motivation to learn more about such common snakes, so their variation goes unnoticed. Yet, Europeans appreciate them more because they're exotic, and they have to do the research to find which of the many varieties they would like to buy. Maybe European snake owners are a bit more educated about garters before they choose their first. Whereas, most 10 year old kids have probably caught and kept one in the U.S. I think that if more people were aware of the variety of garters beyond their backyard, they would be more interested in them.

Personally, I think garters are much easier to keep. For one reason, they're smaller, so a person can house more individuals in the same amount of space. Maybe the size thing is an issue? Maybe people want a large snake that impresses their friends? Who knows? Their activity levels, striking colors, personality, diverse diet, cost, friendliness, and availability are all major selling points for me. Personally, I don't want a snake large enough to harm (even cut) one of my children.

[Stefan-A]

Originally Posted by Cazador

Yet, Europeans appreciate them more because they're exotic, and they have to do the research to find which of the many varieties they would like to buy. Maybe European snake owners are a bit more educated about garters before they choose their first.

Frankly, we don't have a single reptile that is legal to catch and keep, so practically nobody has a locally caught snake. If somebody wants a snake, it's a cb, most likely one bred in the Netherlands, Germany or Sweden. They are as exotic here as ball pythons or boa constrictors. In fact, I know more people that own ball pythons than garters. I'd say corn snakes are the typical beginner snakes, that everybody has at some point or another over here in the north-northeastern corner of Europe. I don't think I've heard more than a couple even suggest garters as first snakes.

Still, it's much more expensive than a wildcaught (duh), so people really tend to learn a bit more about the animals before they get one.

As far as the varieties are concerned, I've complained (whined) about it before. There aren't any to choose from. Again, this is just from a local perspective, I know that the situation is much better across the Baltic, where the reptile hobby is much more developed. Personally, I chose garters instead, because they are so familiar (the whole grass snake similarity thing I sometimes talk about), despite being exotic. They could almost be a domestic species, which probably means a lot less to someone who lives in a country with more than two species. Well, three if you count the one that only lives on one island.