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Origin: The western part of the San Francisco Peninsula, from San Francisco County along the coast into San Mateo County, California.
Length: male around 100 cm / females 140 cm
Age: between 6 and 10 years old.
They have blue-green dorsal scales bordered by stripes of black, red (sometimes orange), and blue-green. Their head is barely wider than the neck and is red. Their eyes are large compared to other garter snake species.
Care
Experience: Average snake keeper
Food: Live or dead prey. Main prey given are amphibians, earthworms, insects, mice.
Feeding adults: earthworms, insects, mice. 3 times a week.
Feeding young: earthworms, freshwater fish, insects, cut into small pieces. Every other day. Water bowl: Yes
Water change: 3 times a week
Food
There is the choice of offering prey animals live or dead. It is recommended to offer dead food. This is more practical and prevents the prey animal from injuring your snake. Additionally, it is advised to offer the prey animal using feeding tongs and to feed your snake outside the enclosure. This ensures that your hand is not associated with food and prevents the snake from grabbing your hand during feeding. If you do choose live food, you must supervise during feeding. This is because when two snakes take the same prey, they can injure each other and sometimes even eat each other. The ideal prey animal is approximately as wide as the widest part of the snake.
Water
A spacious water bowl, where all snakes can lie at the same time, serves as a drinking and bathing place and sometimes also as a toilet. Therefore, ensure that the water is changed when it is dirty. After all, they drink that water too. Cleaning
To keep your Thamnophis healthy, a hygienic living environment is important. To achieve this, the enclosure must be cleaned regularly. Cleaning once a week is sufficient. Additionally, to prevent the buildup of bacteria, the entire enclosure must be cleaned and disinfected a few times a year.
Handling
This species has a calm temperament and is usually easy to handle. Nevertheless, there are a few things to keep in mind when handling. First, never squeeze your snake while handling, as their vertebrae are fragile and can break easily. It is best to let your snake rest quietly in your hand. Also, ensure that your hands are washed and do not smell of food. Finally, do not handle your snake when it is shedding and do not handle it in the dark. Housing
Minimum enclosure size for 1 pair: 100 x 50 x 50
Lying surface area: 0.5 m²
Daytime temperature on the warm side: 29-32°C
Daytime temperature on the cooler side: 21-27°C
Nighttime temperature: 18-22°C
Light hours: 12 hours
Humidity: 40%-60%
Substrate: Cocopeat, soil, or peat moss
There are a few extra things to keep in mind regarding the enclosure. The Thamnophis is capable of squeezing through small cracks. Take this into account and ensure there are no small cracks in the enclosure that it can fit through. Additionally, ventilation is necessary to keep the air fresh, and it is recommended to place the enclosure out of direct sunlight and as vibration-free as possible.
Behavior
Hunting method: Constrictor.
Lifestyle: San Francisco garter snakes are diurnal. Garter snakes are generally more active than most other pet snake species. During the cooler parts of the day, garter snakes roam their territory in search of food.
Character
This species has a calm temperament. If garter snakes feel threatened, they will generally flee. If fleeing is not possible, they will defend themselves by threatening, and if that does not work, by biting. A final defense technique that garter snakes may employ is emptying their anal glands, often accompanied by the release of feces. This releases a very unpleasant odor.
Points of attention
When purchasing, preferably choose young captive-bred animals. Wild-caught animals are often infected with (internal and/or external) parasites, frequently carry diseases, and are very sensitive to stress.
Costs and Purchase
Legislation: not applicable
One-time costs: These include the costs for the enclosure, lighting, heating, water bowl, and decoration. This can cost anywhere from a few hundred euros to a few thousand euros in total. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the cost of food, which is a few tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: Costs are incurred if your snake happens to get sick or your equipment breaks down.
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