new to snake care

[nethna]

hello everyone,
ive got a few questions to ask,
over the last few months ive become the new adoptive mum of a garter snake, his previous owner wasnt too interested in him and forgot about him, so i became its carer.
he is average 80cms long, and appears to be in good condtion. at the moment he is housed in a small tank 46cm lengthX 30cmwidth X 17 high with a heat pad. i know its too small and i would like to upgrade to a better housing for him, what size should i go for? ive seen tall tanks in the local shop (exo terra brand ) would that be ok?
in addtion within the last few weeks he has become less active and preferres to hide under his bedding. could he be hibernating?
also ive tried to feed him on other food stuffs than goldfish but he refuses to take any interest, i use a supplement for his water at the moment.
sorry for the questions, this is very new to me!!

[gregmonsta]

Hi there, don't worry about the questions . Exo-terra tanks are perfectly fine as long as you provide plenty of things to climb to fully utilise the height. Ideally a tank that would allow snakey to fully stretch out ie 3' in this case would be best (wooden vivaria have a lot of plus points for this size as they keep the heat better). There are a lot of threads on this forum about convincing your snake to try other things. Have you tried strips of trout or scenting? ... Maybe your snake likes the motion so you could try offering food items with tweezers? ... Hope this helps

[CrazyHedgehog]

Hello and welcome!!
Have you any idea what kind of garter he is? if not, post a pic we love the challenge? (well not me personally as I am pretty useless, but the others do...I just like the photos!!)

Yes bigger tanks are better, but sometimes an old fish tank in the garage, or sideboard that could be re used as.... don't always have to buy new... check you or fmily/neighbours haven't got something ideal you could use first... as greg says, if you buy a tall one, make sure you utalise the space.

As to feeding, have you tried one goldfish, lopping about in a dish of pinkies..... as greg said, try movement, maybe worms might be a good starter... anyway, read some of the articles, there is lots to read!! good luck and welcome!

Originally Posted by nethna

hello everyone,
ive got a few questions to ask,
over the last few months ive become the new adoptive mum of a garter snake, his previous owner wasnt too interested in him and forgot about him, so i became its carer.
he is average 80cms long, and appears to be in good condtion. at the moment he is housed in a small tank 46cm lengthX 30cmwidth X 17 high with a heat pad. i know its too small and i would like to upgrade to a better housing for him, what size should i go for? ive seen tall tanks in the local shop (exo terra brand ) would that be ok?
in addtion within the last few weeks he has become less active and preferres to hide under his bedding. could he be hibernating?
also ive tried to feed him on other food stuffs than goldfish but he refuses to take any interest, i use a supplement for his water at the moment.
sorry for the questions, this is very new to me!!

[Sid]

HI and welcome to the forum. Greg has given good advice on viv size. It should be at least as long as your snake. Height can be a big plus if your snake likes to climb but not really necessary.

[enigma200316]

welcome to the forum..............

[anji1971]

Hello, and welcome!!

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard.

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Nethna

[Lori P]

Welcome!! You've already gotten some good advice... give him time to settle in with you, too, and realize he will make any changes slowly. We'd love to see pics! :-)

[drache]

welcome to the forum