How to Care for Garter Snakes

Garter snakes thrive in almost every part of the United States, capable of living in most habitats. Full-grown snakes are a manageable size, reaching as long as 3 feet. Most garter snakes enjoy being handled, although they must be handled with caution because they are not a constrictor and unable to grasp or hold onto their owner the way a constrictor might. Garter snakes require minimal care in comparison to other animals, making them an excellent reptile addition to the family.

Things You'll Need

  • Glass aquarium with secure lid
  • Paper, such as, newspaper, paper based rodent bedding or paper towels
  • Rocks
  • Branches
  • Water bowl
  • Heat lamp
  • Adhesive thermometer strips
  • UV lamp
  • Frozen mice, either adult or pinkies
  • Earthworms or night crawlers
  • Feeder guppies
  • Calcium powder
Show More

Instructions

  1. Cage and Habitat

    • 1

      Choose a container with a secure lid to contain the garter. You should use either a glass aquarium or plastic reptile keeper. A baby garter snake should have no larger than a 5-gallon aquarium, and an adult should have no larger than a 15-gallon tank.

    • 2

      Examine the cage and lid, looking for potential areas from which the garter may be able to escape. Garter snakes can fit through areas in the cage that seem much smaller than they are, and they are born escape artists.

    • 3

      Line the bottom of the cage with a substrate or paper material. Paper towel, newspaper, cypress mulch or a paper-based rodent nesting material should be used.

    • 4

      Set up "furniture" in the cage. Use a large rock, tree branches that extend vertically from the bottom of the cage to the top, stones, or even a bamboo or rubber rodent refuge.

    • 5

      Put a water bowl in the cage. It should not be enormous, but large enough for the snake to drink from and dip its body into. A small ceramic bowl works well. To keep the garter healthy, the water bowl needs washing and refilling at least twice a week.

    • 6

      Clean out the cage at least once a week. This includes removal of all "furniture" and replacement of the paper liner.

    Heating the Cage

    • 7

      Place a heat lamp with a bulb protected by a dome on one end of the cage to form a gradient effect. This gives the garter snake a warm place to "sun" itself, and a cooler place for when it is more active.

    • 8

      Put adhesive thermometer strips on both sides of the cage on the outside glass. A garter snake thrives best with 80 to 82 degrees on the warm side of the cage, and 70 to 72 degrees on the cool side of the cage.

    • 9

      Place a fluorescent ultra-violet light near the cage, preferably over the lid, but not on the lid. Leave the light on at least eight hours a day to deliver the snake a healthy dose of ultra-violet light.

    Feeding the Baby Garter Snake

    • 10

      Purchase frozen newborn mice, feeder guppies or earthworms for the baby garter snake.

    • 11

      Cut the pinky, fish or earthworm into bite-sized pieces for the baby garter snake. The pinkie would be the first choice for feeding because mice provide perfect nutrition for a garter snake. However, cutting up a tiny mouse is not always easy for a person. If the pinkie is out of the question, move on to fish or the earthworm.

    • 12

      Put the cut up pinky, feeder guppy or earthworm into the cage for the snake. If feeding pinkies, the snake only needs to be fed once a week. With guppies, feed the snake twice a week, earthworms should be fed to the snake three times a week.

    • 13

      Add calcium powder to the food at least every third feeding to establish the snake is getting enough calcium. This is especially beneficial when the snake is eating fish or worms and not mice.

    Feeding the Adult Garter Snake

    • 14

      Give the garter snake the same foods it ate when it was smaller -- mice, fish or earthworms.

    • 15

      Put a frozen mouse into the cage once a week for the snake, if mice are what it has gotten used to eating. If the snake prefers fish, feeder guppies and goldfish can be put into the water bowl live for the snake to hunt and eat. This will stimulate the snake and entertain anyone watching.

    • 16

      Feed snakes that eat worms, whole earthworms or chopped night crawlers. The same feeding rules for baby snakes applies to adult snakes; feed them mice once a week, fish twice a week, and worms three times a week.

    • 17

      Sprinkle fish or earthworms with vitamin or calcium powder every third feeding or so to provide the snake with needed calcium.

    Handling a Garter Snake

    • 18

      Grasp the snake firmly but not too tightly behind the neck. Lift with one hand and put the other hand underneath the snake to support the body, while lifting it from the cage.

    • 19

      Hold the snake over its cage while stroking it to let it get used to your touch. With baby snakes and new snakes, this may be all that can be done until the snake gets used to handling, because they will try to escape.

    • 20

      Hold the snake regularly to get it used to human contact. Once it gets used to its owner it will be less likely to try to escape. Often the snake will wrap itself around the holder's arm, but be wary of any escape attempts. Also, feel free to move about with the snake as long as a watchful eye is kept on it.