Just a quick update on Cuddles...
He's been a pain in the butt lately and hasn't been eating quite as much. He's due for another feeding tomorrow or on Thursday, when I have less to take care of during the day. No signs of a fourth shed yet; I think it will be longer before he sheds this time since he isn't eating quite as much. I estimate that he is up to nine inches in length today. He's been a bit of a recluse, never coming out of his cave for anything. I've seen him out once, climbing in his tree and watching me. But he still likes to be held, when I manage to get him out.

I have a question concerning substrate. The local Petco is selling a substrate made out of cypress bark, and it says it is good for snakes. However, I remember reading somewhere that cypress may not be safe for garters, though I can't remember. Is it safe, or not? Also, would reptibark be a suitable substrate for a garter, or should I just stick with the aspen snake bedding that I've been using since I adopted him?

On another note, I saw my first wild garter of the year today. It looked small, fast, and thin so I am assuming that it was male, though I wasn't able to catch it so I can't be sure. He was a fine black snake, longer than Cuddles, with a nice yellow stripe down his back. I don't have a picture, but does anyone have an idea about what kind of garter it might have been? I don't know much, but I'm assuming most of the garters around here are northwestern like Cuddles.