Is there something wrong!

[Dameco13]

As I was trying to take a picture of Zippy I got the sudden urge to smell he/she. He/she smelled aweful! There is no visible problems but he/she is always kinda nervous. This may or may not be serious. I just want to be sure nothing is wrong. Also Zippy's head looks sorta grayer than normal but he/she just shed late last week.Is he/she dehydrated?

[Snakers]

I don't think so, the smell is probably musk, a substance that smells bad to warn off predators

[Dameco13]

oh! That would explain the nervousness! I dont handle he/she enough so Zippy sees me as a potential threat! how obvious. I feel dumb. lol XD

[Snakers]

oh! That would explain the nervousness! I dont handle he/she enough so Zippy sees me as a potential threat! how obvious. I feel dumb. lol XD

Glad to help

[guidofatherof5]

oh! That would explain the nervousness! I dont handle he/she enough so Zippy sees me as a potential threat! how obvious. I feel dumb. lol XD

Just learning is all.
The sweet smell of a garter snake. You'll get used to it.
Once Zippy feels comfortable around you, Zippy won't do that.
Except on special occasions.

[kibakiba]

My snakes sometimes get a little stinky, too. My snake, Mama, has pooped on herself quite a few times while she was in her hide Mama also poops on Snakey, too. I normally give them a little warm bath after that. I wouldn't try that with Zippy though, it could make him more nervous and possibly more stinky :P

[bkhuff1s]

Some of mine make me leave the room on special occasions such that steve was speaking of....

[ConcinusMan]

Give it time. I wouldn't say that more handling is always the answer. I hardly ever handle the snakes I have that are WC just 4-5 months ago. They were nervous at first but after feeding them a lot, and of course, moving them aside so I could work inside the enclosure, they calmed down quite a bit and don't dive for cover much anymore when I walk into the room. Sometimes forced handling can have the opposite affect you intend. They can come to see you as "Oh jeez, I don't like this manhandling and here it comes again" kind of thing. There are other ways to build trust. Handling more often is not always the answer.

Simply getting used to your presence, and coming to think of your arriving as a time of getting fed, is enough. Then you can work on the handling part. Some snakes just don't like it one bit, regardless of whether or not they see you as a threat.

[The Snake Whisperer]

I wonder why your snakes poop on each other in the hide. My garters rarely ever poop in their hide, even the newborn to 2 week old babies don't poop in their hide. All my garters tend to poop in the area furthest from their hide, where their swimming pools are located. A few poop in their swimming pool, which makes it very convenient to clean out, just flush it down the toilet, rinse out the pool, wipe the surface and sides with paper towel, refill it, and return it to the snakes.
A few of my snakes when fed separately,have learned to save the poop until after they get done eating and then relieve themselves in the feeding container. That way they don't even have to have the poop in their main enclosure.
I would like some details of your setup to compare to what I have, to see if any factors in the way things are set up could possibly make a difference in a garter's cleanliness instinct.
Incidentally my corn snakes, cali king, black ratsnake, and red sided garters show the same cleanliness instinct as my Easterns. In contrast my ball python could care less where she goes!

[kibakiba]

For my snakes, they have 3-4 hides in their enclosure. The one they like is near their water dish. They always choose the one closest to the dish, but they seem to prefer the log being near their dish rather than the toilet paper rolls. They spend a lot of time in the hide, Mama mostly. She's a big lazy garter :P Snakey likes to cuddle up with her and if she has to go, she has to go. Whether its on Snakey or herself, she doesn't care. It's funny when she comes out of the hide with poop on her head... It's something you don't normally see.