I was so happy to find this forum just for garter snake lovers! I had always wanted a snake and had been trying to decide what kind to get when my nephew told me he was getting rid of his snake and did I want it. It was a WC garter and I had never really considered a garter, but decided to give it a go. Man, am I glad I did!!! I absolutely love my little guy (at least I think it's a guy, he is sweet natured, curious and lots of fun to watch. I have done lots of reading on this forum on how to care for them and much to my dismay my nephew (he is just a kid) had been doing just about everything wrong. Sand substrate, goldfish feeding (shudder) and the like. I quickly bought him a large cage, put down papertowel substrate, gave him a bowl of water, a hide, and a branch for climbing and crawling on. I'll also be buying him a heat light next pay check and I've started feeding him pinkies, which thankfully he took with no problem, although I think he is big enough to eat fuzzies, My concern at this point, is will the effects of eating those crappy fish work themselves out now that he is eating right, or is it a case of once they eat them they never get rid of thethiaminase? I don't know if it makes any diffrence but he is a Western Terrestrial Garter Snake and he is about 23 to 24 inches long. Thanks for any help or advice, I will really appreciate it!!!