species specific care anyone?

[paulh]

I've never tried keeping T. ordinoides so am not up on their requirements.

Eastern and checkered garters are subspecies of T. sirtalis. I've kept the local red sided garters, another subspecies of T. sirtalis. All three probably have similar requirements. And I've kept the local T. radix. They have the same requirements as the red sided garters. Its just that the red sided are more likely to be found in woods and brushy areas, while the radix prefer more grassy prairie areas.

T. radix love worms and tadpoles. Any doubt I had about the worms was ended when I caught a radix, and she barfed a stomachfull of worms down my leg.

Good luck.

[ProXimuS]

Eastern and checkered garters are subspecies of T. sirtalis.

I'm pretty sure Checkered garters are their own species/subspecies, Thamnophis marcianus.

I've got a Gulf Coast Ribbon and a Red Sided garter. I keep them in the same type of conditions, just one is in a smaller cage sicne she's smaller. As far as food, my ribbon only likes to eat out of his water bowl. He would probably eventually eat off of a plate if I only offered it that way....But I just do what he likes He mostly likes fish and had to use fish to scent any new foods. He's also a little skittish. My Red Sided is a pig! Never leaves any food She's not skittish like the ribbon snake. When I put my finger up to the glass she comes right up to it and will follow my finger around. She does still get a little nervous when I open her cage and have to come in from the top.

[paulh]

I'm pretty sure Checkered garters are their own species/subspecies, Thamnophis marcianus.

Right. Thanks for catching that. For some reason I read checkered and thought red spotted.