Thanks for your thoughts. Outdoor exposure, assuming the safety precautions you mention are taken, is always the best option. As for Garter Snakes, natural light may be beneficial; certainly many have been raised and bred without UVA/UVB exposure, but providing it is, I believe, a step in the right direction and a good “insurance policy”.

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

For those of us without much money(but with enough time) is their anything wrong with supervised outdoor visits? Perhaps the snake could be handled outside for brief periods or a small outdoor enclosure could be made.(snake could also receive some UV thru a screen window if it is not ok to go outside). Providing attention is paid not to cook the critter or allow it to escape it shouldn’t hurt and might help. A few minutes every day or two might be all thats needed?

~Joseph

Thanks for your interest in our blog and the kind words.

Garter snakes will do fine on a diet of fish and earthworms. Try to use mainly minnows and shiners; occasional goldfish are fine, but a steady goldfish diet may cause health problems.

Most refuse crickets, but worth trying on occasion; they are not suitable as the main part of the diet.

Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.