A quick little message to members...

[snickersnake]

I've learned so much from all of you. I had garters when I was growing up but I didn't keep them. I'd save them from the lawnmower then let them go in the woods. In the 80's, my first garter was Zip, a gift from a friend. She was 4 years old and lived four more years, then got very sick and died while I was holding her. It just broke my heart.

A few years after that, I got Fang and she died after six months (similar death to Zip - obstruction), then I got String and she died within a few months, suffering from convulsions. I never knew why and thought it might be related to illnesses that my dogs and I had (from the well water? pesticides?). A few years after that, I developed severe Lyme symptoms and my symptoms were similar to what my dogs had, but it didn't explain the snakes. Then I came to this forum for information after I decided to save Lucy (my current garter) from the lawnmower and found that it was the fish that killed my snakes. Fang and String were eating rosies and Zip always had goldfish. I never knew that these fish were bad for garters. When I first got Zip, those were the feeding instructions. It breaks my heart but now I know.

Anyway, thank goodness for all of you because I might have lost Lucy in the same way. I came here when she refused to eat guppies...it was like she didn't know how! So I came out to this forum and found that I could feed her earthworms. I started a worm farm with worms from my garden (not red wigglers, just earthworms and night crawlers) because fall was coming and she needed food for winter. I dipped them in vitamins and she ate them right down. When she was big enough, I started feeding her pinkies and she has been doing great. Everyone here has been so helpful and I appreciate knowing that there is such a good place to go to get the right information about garters.

[guidofatherof5]

I've learned so much from all of you. I had garters when I was growing up but I didn't keep them. I'd save them from the lawnmower then let them go in the woods. In the 80's, my first garter was Zip, a gift from a friend. She was 4 years old and lived four more years, then got very sick and died while I was holding her. It just broke my heart.

A few years after that, I got Fang and she died after six months (similar death to Zip - obstruction), then I got String and she died within a few months, suffering from convulsions. I never knew why and thought it might be related to illnesses that my dogs and I had (from the well water? pesticides?). A few years after that, I developed severe Lyme symptoms and my symptoms were similar to what my dogs had, but it didn't explain the snakes. Then I came to this forum for information after I decided to save Lucy (my current garter) from the lawnmower and found that it was the fish that killed my snakes. Fang and String were eating rosies and Zip always had goldfish. I never knew that these fish were bad for garters. When I first got Zip, those were the feeding instructions. It breaks my heart but now I know.

Anyway, thank goodness for all of you because I might have lost Lucy in the same way. I came here when she refused to eat guppies...it was like she didn't know how! So I came out to this forum and found that I could feed her earthworms. I started a worm farm with worms from my garden (not red wigglers, just earthworms and night crawlers) because fall was coming and she needed food for winter. I dipped them in vitamins and she ate them right down. When she was big enough, I started feeding her pinkies and she has been doing great. Everyone here has been so helpful and I appreciate knowing that there is such a good place to go to get the right information about garters.

That is what this forum and all its members are all about. Thank you for your kind comments.