Checkered garter?

[jamromhem]

ahh ok good call. I'll get rid of the frozen feeder fish I put up. I am still looking for a good vet for reptiles. I'll have to find an alternative for feeding minows, With hope I will have a tank set up with a breather, so the fish will live longer :P

[MichaelSmith]

ahh ok good call. I'll get rid of the frozen feeder fish I put up. I am still looking for a good vet for reptiles. I'll have to find an alternative for feeding minows, With hope I will have a tank set up with a breather, so the fish will live longer :P

Hi - looks like you're doing great with the little checkered. In San Antonio you are lucky to have a great reptile vet - Dr. Cord Offerman.

For what it's worth, I have not typically taken mine to the vet unless there is an apparent need. It's true that wild garters can carry a parasite load, but if kept well and not overstressed they seem to do OK without showing ill effects.

I just came back a couple of months ago from a trip to south Texas and brought a couple of checkered garters with me (they were very common on the roads at night). Both now take pinkies after the first one or two feedings were frog-scented. Just put the pinkie in after rinsing it and sliming it with a little minnow. Offer it on tongs and I bet she/he will take it. that's assuming the garter is big enough and/or the pinkie small enough (about as big around as the snake, roughly).