5 Years Alone

Hi there,

I am currently making arrangements with a breeder to get two new baby snakes.
I currently have a blue California Red Sided, name Reggie, who has been with me since he was a baby, and has been living alone for about 5 years.
He's done well, but I felt bad about not getting him a friend.

So I'm buying two more boys, one a Puget Sound, and one a San Francisco (I live in Canada).
They will be babies, and they'll arrive with two other boys (another Puget and a blue Cali Red Sided) that will be going to my brother.
Once they're big enough I plan to introduce them to Reggie into an upgraded tank.

My concern is how Reggie will take having snakes introduced to him after all this time alone.

If he doesn't handle it well then I'll just keep them separate, but I'm curious if anyone has ever introduced new snakes to a garter that's been alone since it was taken from it's clutch years prior?

Thanks!

You shouldn't have any difficulty with an introduction. There will be plenty of curiosity but that is normal.

Thanks. I know with mammals it can be rough after being raised alone, but I have no experience with that scenario and reptiles.

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Originally Posted by kita8

Thanks. I know with mammals it can be rough after being raised alone, but I have no experience with that scenario and reptiles.

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You may experience some domination behavior in a communal enclosure down the road and as the animals put on size. Usually you see it in same sex enviornments. However in that they are babies, be sure to monitor the feedings so you can break up and avoid fights over food.

I have never observed hostility by garters towards one another, but during feeding you have to be careful in communal groups as they are kind of crazy eaters and can fight over food unintentionally just going for the same pieces or sometimes just whatever is moving. Injuries can happen and if there is a very great size difference a large snake could accidentally eat a small one.

Thanks for the replies about feeding, guys.
Yea, I intend to get some small plastic tanks for feeding them separately in, as I'd read ages ago about accidental injuries from feeding together, and that doing feedings in smaller separate tanks is recommended to prevent this, and to prevent any dirt/shavings from getting into their digestion accidentally, since the tanks can be empty.
I'll be teaching my brother to do the same when he gets his little guys, too.

I know Reggie can be such a ditz when it comes to feeding that he'll bite my hand, or the tongs if I'm using those, instead of the food, so I wouldn't trust him not to be a dummy about his new friends' food either.