Thamnophis sirtalis
Common garter snake
A terrestrial cage with a water bowl big enough to soak in.
Legal status
- Check local rules
Thamnophis sirtalis is not recorded here as listed in the CITES Appendices. No EU wildlife-trade annex was verified for this species, so the annex field is empty. It is not marked on the EU list of invasive alien species and it is not marked as venomous. National and regional rules can still restrict keeping. Live-bearing. Incubation days are empty. Check local rules before you keep, move, or rehome an animal. This record is not a permit and not legal advice.
Official sourceNot legal advice. Rules differ by country, and sometimes by region. Check the law that applies to you.
- Temperature
- 22–28°C
- Basking
- 30–32°C
- UVB
- Ferguson zone 2. About 0.7–1.0. This is a diurnal snake.
- Humidity
- 50–70%
- Minimum enclosure
- About 90 × 45 × 45 cm for one adult
- Adult size
- Often 45–90 cm.
- Lifespan
- Often 6–10 years, sometimes longer.
- Difficulty
- intermediate
Diet and feeding
Earthworms, fish that are not a thiaminase staple, and rodents if the individual accepts them. Goldfish as the only food is a thiamine problem. Every 2–4 days. They eat more often than a ball python.
Substrate
Cypress, soil, or paper, kept from drying to dust.
Health
Thiamine deficiency from the wrong fish, and skin infections from a dirty wet cage.
Handling
They musk. That is normal. Wash afterwards.
Husbandry ranges are general guidance for captive care, not a veterinary prescription or a permit. Confirm the gradient with your own thermometers. UV zones follow Baines et al., Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 4(1), 2016, https://www.jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150. Legal fields use the source link on this species and stay empty when an annex was not verified.