How many babies?

[paclc1]

I was curious as to which species of garter snake tend to give birth to the largest litters? I would also like some input from the breeders out there as to what the average sized litter is for the species of garter snake that they breed. thought it would be nice to compare notes from the various breeders as to average litter size

[Stefan-A]

Thamnophis radix and Thamnophis sirtalis (T. s. sirtalis and T. s. parietalis) tend to have the largest litters. If there's someone here with the Rossman et al book handy, there's a table of litter sizes in there somewhere.

[gregmonsta]

By Rossman's table (these are wild averages) the high scorers in average litter sizes are -

sirtalis - 33 - Maryland
radix - 30 - Manitoba
gigas - 23 - California
cyrtopsis - 19 - Arizona
hammondii - 16 - California
marcianus - 15 - California

Just for the hell of ... an average for thamnophis on the whole from the table would be - 12
Sound about right?

[ssssnakeluvr]

from my experience, vagrans average 13, concinnus average 7-8. the largest litter was 92 from a sirtalis sirtalis, eastern garter.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I had a gigantic female eastern drop 47! 16 of them were stillborns, and there were some jellies too! Stillborns don't go to waste here, I keep them in the freezer and use them as food for my eastern milk snake and my legless lizard!

[Didymus20X6]

O_0

Somehow, that doesn't seem right. But waste not, want not, I guess. As long as we're not talking humans, I suppose.

[MasSalvaje]

I had a gigantic female eastern drop 47! 16 of them were stillborns, and there were some jellies too! Stillborns don't go to waste here, I keep them in the freezer and use them as food for my eastern milk snake and my legless lizard!

I just fed a still born that I had to one of my spiders!

[guidofatherof5]

My average Thamnophis radix litter is 25. The most I've every had was 29.
I believe Thamnophis sirtalis (Common Garter Snake), Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis(red-sided Garter Snake) and Thamnophis marcianus (checkered Garter snake) are capable of producing some pretty large groups. I think I've read T.sirtalis hold the official record of 85. I would have loved to be there for that birthing.

[paclc1]

thanks guys! this was interesting to see. I hope this was enlightning for others as well. and i also support the feeding of a varied diet, and if you dint have to kill or collect then thats great. Im sure it happens in the wild as well. those stillborns and slugs get consumed by something.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

absolutely. I don't feed anything live unless that is the only thing my snakes will eat. Usually, that involves newborn garters and feeder guppies. There is nothing like fresh guppies to jumpstart a hatchling into being a great eater for life. One or two feedings of those and then all I have to do is cut up some silversides and flop the pieces around like they are guppies. Even my cornsnake, rat snakes, and hatchling Ball python's have all been started on already f/t dead prey. I think I am just really good at using my tongs to puppet the dead rodent around and make the snake think it is hunting something. No use killing more things if I can get them eating something already dead. I don't oppose anyone who feeds live to their snakes though... I just know there are better options.