Can you buy a pet garter snake?
Garter snakes are available at pet stores, online, reptile expos and breeders. Talk with your local pet store or breeder to determine whether a snake you are interested in is wild-born or not.
What is the cheapest snake to buy?
Gopher Snake
They come in a variety of morphs, are fairly easy to find for sale, and their prices stay very reasonable. Gopher snake pricing starts at around $50. You can find them cheaper at local reptile shows.
How much do baby snakes cost?
You’ll normally get your new snake through a breeder or an intermediary pet store. These prices can differ wildly between species, but you should expect a new snake to cost between $15 and over $1,000.
Do garter snake bites hurt?
That being said, some species of garter snakes, like the common garter snake, do have the necessary toxins in their saliva to make them venomous. But fortunately for humans, the venom from these bites causes little more than a slightly irritated, swollen area around the puncture wound.
Can I have a garter snake as a pet?
While garter snakes are abundant in the wild, especially around bodies of water, such as lakes and streams, in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Central America, these wild animals should not be kept as pets, as they are illegal to take from their natural habitats in most locales.
Can you domesticate a wild garter snake?
Wild garter snakes usually live only four or five years, but a well-cared-for snake can live for over 10 years. We don’t advise buying a wild-born garter snake, as they are shy of people and may never acclimate to living as pets. Catching wild snakes to keep as pets can also be illegal.
Are garter snakes friendly to humans?
Garter snakes are a gardener’s friend! Harmless to humans, they eat the pests that wreak havoc in your garden. Learn more about the shy but helpful gardening helper who just wants to live peacefully in harmony with you — and eat your slugs!
Can you catch a garter snake and keep it?
Garters make good pets, mainly because they are active during the day. They are relatively small snakes and, as long as there is an adult nearby, they are easy for children to hold. Experts recommend you shouldn’t catch a garter in the wild to keep as a pet. It could be against the law.
Why garter snakes make good pets?
Garter snakes are relatively small, which makes them easy to house. It also allows many beginning keepers to handle them more confidently, and it means they don’t present any serious safety issues. Garter snakes are rarely irascible, and they’re not as likely to bite as some other species.
Can garter snakes be friendly?
Not so garter snakes, the harmless serpents that live throughout North America and part of Central America. Researchers have discovered that garter snakes not only prefer to hang out together, but also seem to have “friends” with whom they spend much of their time.
Do garter snakes like being handled?
Many garter snakes, particularly if they are captive bred, are gentle and do not mind being handled, and handling them is simply a matter of picking them up and letting them explore your hands. If you have experience handling other snakes, it’s important to remember that garter snakes are not constrictors.
Are garter snakes aggressive to humans?
Though garter snakes will use their sharp teeth to catch prey, it’s very unlikely these pests will choose to bite a human. They typically only lash out at humans when they are provoked or feel threatened. Many garter snakes will also release a foul-smelling musk just before lashing out at their victim.
Can you hold a wild garter snake?
They are relatively small snakes and, as long as there is an adult nearby, they are easy for children to hold. Experts recommend you shouldn’t catch a garter in the wild to keep as a pet. It could be against the law. Instead, go to a pet store or a breeder, or get one from a rescue organization.