Garter & Water Snake Care: Help Your Pet Thrive! Habitat, Food, Health

This care sheet covers a variety of species, including:

• Garter snakes
• Ribbon snakes

Typical appearance and behavior

• Garter snakes make good pets because they learn to accept handling and are fairly easy to maintain
• Garter and ribbon snakes look very similar; ribbon snakes tend to be slimmer than garter snakes and have a white marking in front of their eyes
• Males grow to about 2-3’ long and females up to 4’
• When threatened by a predator, ribbon snakes will swim and slither away rapidly and garter snakes will try to camouflage themselves with their distinct skin patterns. When restrained by a predator, these snakes display several difference defense mechanisms, including vibrating their tails quickly to mimic that of a rattlesnake, secreting musk and fecal material on predators, flattening their bodies out to appear larger and striking and biting
• The common garter snake has a black or brown body with three yellow stripes down the length of its body (one on the back and one on each side). Some lack the stripe on the back and have spots or a checkerboard pattern instead. They have been bred to come in a variety of colors and patterns
• They like to bask in warmth and will be seen actively exploring their habitats in the sun
• They tend to eat smaller meals more frequently than other snakes
• As your snake gets ready to shed, their eyes will turn a milky blue/grey over the course of a few days, and their body color will start to dull and develop a whitish sheen. They may become irritable; avoid handling if possible
• They tend to move quickly and be very active in their habitats, and they are known to be escape artists

Characteristics

Habitat

Habitat size

Garter snakes are social and may be housed in pairs or in small groups, while ribbon snakes are solitary and should be housed alone. A 55-gallon tank is the minimum size for a pair of garter snakes, while a 40-gallon breeder is the minimum size for a single garter or ribbon snake. Provide the appropriately sized and shaped habitat for a baby garter or water snake to accommodate normal behavior and exercise. Tanks should have a securely fitting screened lid to prevent escape and allow adequate ventilation. These snakes reach adult size in 2 to 4 years, under ideal conditions; upgrade habitat size as your snake grows.

Building your habitat

• Substrate – While part of the habitat should have water, an area with substrate is also needed to allow snakes to dry out. Snakes that continuously remain wet can develop skin infections, blisters and sores. Provide substrate such as commercially available pelleted paper-based bedding, dry leaf litter, coconut fiber bedding or sphagnum moss, 1-2" deep to allow snakes to burrow. Reptile bark is indigestible if consumed and can lead to potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal tract obstructions. Pine and cedar chips should be avoided, as they have oils on them that can irritate their skin and their respiratory tracts
• Décor – Provide commercially available live or artificial plants, driftwood, large rocks, logs or plastic boxes to hide in and vines and branches to climb on. Provide a large bowl of fresh, dechlorinated water for soaking, drinking and swimming. As snakes tend to defecate in their water, it must be changed daily
• Temperature – Provide a temperature gradient (85°F for the warm end and 70° for the cool end) plus a basking area that reaches about 90°F. Monitor temperature with at least two thermometers—one in the cool zone and the other in the hot zone. Heat may be provided by a ceramic heat bulb or an under-tank heating pad. Heat sources should be attached to thermostats to regulate temperatures. Thermostats are especially important with heating pads, which can get hot and cause burns through the tank floor if not regulated properly. Hot rocks should not be used as a heat source, as they can burn reptiles. Reptiles not kept at the appropriate temperature ranges are more likely to become immunosuppressed and get sick
• Lighting - While snakes do not require ultraviolet (UV)B light to survive, studies suggest that UVB light may increase snakes’ activity levels and aid in their overall health. Providing snakes with a low-level UVB light helps provide a clear day/night cycle (with 10 to 12 hours of daylight) that snakes need to perform their normal daily activities. UV bulbs should be replaced every six months, as their potency wanes. Provide 8 to 12 hours of light daily. Don’t leave white light on at all the time; a nocturnal or infrared light should be used at night
• Humidity - The habitat should contain a water dish large enough for the snake to soak in, help sustain humidity levels, keep the snake hydrated and aid in shedding. Maintain the habitat between 30% to 60% humidity; monitor humidity level with a humidity gauge. Humidity should be higher during shedding

Cleaning your habitat

• Spot-clean the habitat daily to remove droppings and discarded food
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect the habitat at least once a week
• Place snake in a secure habitat
• Remove all substrate and habitat décor
• Scrub the tank and furnishings with a reptile habitat cleaner or 3% bleach solution
• Rinse tank and furnishings thoroughly with water, removing all traces of habitat cleaner or bleach smell
• Dry the tank and furnishings completely
• Add clean substrate and put furnishings back into the tank
• Put snake back into the clean, dry habitat

What Do Garter and Water Snakes Eat

A well-balanced garter or water snake diet consists of:

• Frozen/thawed rodents and earthworms, plus occasional feeder fish. Ribbon snakes will also eat gut-loaded crickets or tadpoles and do better on a varied diet
• Feeder fish, such as comet goldfish, minnows and guppies may be fed occasionally; however, many fish contain thiaminase, which is an enzyme that breaks down thiamine (vitamin B1), leading to a vitamin deficiency. Many feeder fish also contain parasites that can be transmitted to snakes if ingested
• When feeding frozen/thawed rodents, such as pinkies, do not use a microwave to defrost frozen rodents, as it may defrost unevenly, leaving hot spots that burn the snake and cold spots that are not thawed completely. Do not thaw rodents in the sink or kitchen where you prepare human food. If it is unavoidable, be sure to thoroughly disinfect the area. See the Feeding Frozen/Thawed Foods Care Sheet for more information

Things to remember when feeding your garter or water snake:

• Feed juveniles every other day; adults eating mainly rodents should be fed once a week
• If feeding earthworms primarily, feed adults twice a week. Many adult ribbon snakes will eat twice a week regardless of what they are eating
• Place fish in snake's water bowl for feeding

Care

• Snakes will regularly shed their skin and the covering over their eyes (called the eye cap or spectacle); ensure humidity of habitat is at appropriate level to allow snake to shed properly. Skin should be shed in a single long piece
• Never try to remove retained eye caps by yourself, as you can easily cause damage. Seek veterinary care if eye caps are retained

Where to buy a garter or ribbon snake

Garter snakes and ribbon snakes are available for purchase at your local Petco Pet Care Center location. Please call ahead to check availability.

Supplies

• Appropriately sized habitat
• Substrate
• Sphagnum moss
• Water dish
• Hideaway place
• Climbing décor
• Plants
• Heat light/emitter
• Heat fixture
• Under tank heater
• Thermometers
• Thermostat
• Humidity gauge
• Low level UV bulb
• UV bulb fixture

Habitat mates

• Garter snakes are social and may be housed in pairs or in small groups
• Ribbon snakes are solitary and should be housed alone
• Do not house different snake species together

Health

Signs of a healthy snake

• Active and alert
• Clear eyes (except when shedding)
• No discharge or bubbles from eyes, nose or mouth
• Eats food and passes stool regularly
• Supple skin without lesions, swellings, scabs, parasites (mites, ticks) or discoloration
• Regularly sheds skin in one complete piece

Red flags (If you notice any of these signs, contact your veterinarian)

• Unusually frequent or infrequent shedding
• Vomiting
• Lethargy or reluctance to eat
• Abnormal feces or lack of feces
• Lesions, swellings, scabs, discoloration or parasites (mites, ticks) on skin
• Labored breathing/breathing with open mouth
• Difficulty shedding/shedding in numerous pieces/retained skin after shed
• White, cheesy discharge or redness or scabs in mouth
• Laying on back, unable to turn right-side-up or prolonged staring (“star-gazing”)

Common health issues

Notes and resources

Ask a Pet Care Center store employee about Petco's selection of products available for the care and happiness of your new pet. All products carry a 100% money-back guarantee.

Because all reptiles are potential carriers of infectious diseases, such as salmonella bacteria, always wash your hands before and after handling your reptile or habitat contents to help prevent the potential spread of disease.

Pregnant women, children under the age of 5, senior citizens and people with weakened immune systems should contact their physicians before purchasing or caring for reptiles and should consider having a pet other than a reptile.

Go to the Centers for Disease Control at cdc.gov/healthypets for more information about reptiles and disease.