1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeart Radio. Hey 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:10,600 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren Vogelbaum here. If you live anywhere in 3 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: North America, chances are that you've seen a garter snake 4 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: slithering past, whether that inspires a flinch, a scream, or 5 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: the desire to get closer. Garters are relatively harmless, but 6 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: don't try to pick one up. It might try to 7 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: defend itself with a bite, or could struggle and emit 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: a foul smelling substance from its annal gland. Still in 9 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:34,519 Speaker 1: the world of snakes, the garter is among the world's 10 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: most benign. They were thought until the early two thousands 11 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: to be non venomous, but they do in fact produce 12 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:44,200 Speaker 1: a neurotoxic venom, although it's so mild and in such 13 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: small amounts that it can't kill or even harm a 14 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: human being. In many areas, garters are the most common 15 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: snake in the neighborhood. There are about thirty five species 16 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: of garter snakes. They range in length from about eighteen 17 00:00:56,320 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: to fifty four inches that's forty seven centimes, and can 18 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: weigh up to about five ounces or a hundred and 19 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,639 Speaker 1: fifty grams. They're often primarily black or gray in color, 20 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: with stripes all down the lengths of their bodies in gray, brown, black, 21 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 1: or olive if you have dark spots. Garter snakes are 22 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 1: shy and will avoid human beings and pets at all costs, 23 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: living peacefully in harmony with you and your family. But 24 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: they are highly active and great for your garden. You 25 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 1: might see them both at night and during the day, 26 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: but you might not know they're there, as they'll slither 27 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: away from you as quickly as they can. They eat 28 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: all the pests that wreak havoc in your garden, subsisting 29 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: on slugs, snails, insects, grasshoppers, and even small rodents, plus 30 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:44,399 Speaker 1: pretty much anything else they can catch hiding underboards, in vegetation, 31 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: under logs, or among rocks and meadows, woodlands, marshes, and 32 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 1: along hills. However, garters do make good pets, mainly because 33 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: they're active during the day, but you shouldn't catch a 34 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: garter in the wild to keep as a pet. It 35 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: could be against the law, and snakes that are breading 36 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: captivity are much more likely to be dostle around humans 37 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: and willing to be handled. Go to a pet store 38 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:09,640 Speaker 1: or a breeder, or get one from a rescue organization. 39 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: The internet has lots of tips for a first time 40 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: snake owner setting up a home for a garter, and 41 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 1: anyone who could sell or give you a pet snake 42 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: would likely be glad to give you advice. But here 43 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: are the basics. And Garter snakes can be kept in 44 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: a terrarium with a secure lid, and the tank should 45 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: be longer than the snake. Snakes are escape artists, so 46 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: that lid and perhaps awaited object to go on top 47 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:37,359 Speaker 1: of it is important, and garters often like swimming, so 48 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: the habitat should have enough water, not just for drinking, 49 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,079 Speaker 1: but for soaking. A heat lamp or heat mat will 50 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: help keep the snake warm. Decorate its home with rocks 51 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: garters like to rub against them, and things for the 52 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: snake to climb on and hide in or behind. Garters 53 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,239 Speaker 1: also like to borrow, so deep loose substrate at the 54 00:02:57,240 --> 00:02:59,359 Speaker 1: bottom of the tank is good, so you can use 55 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: anything from shredded paper to coconut fiber to moss, and 56 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: you'll have to change it regularly. The size of the 57 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: snake will determine what sort of foods you should give it, 58 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:10,800 Speaker 1: and they don't need to be fed very often. Young 59 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: or pregnant snake might need a meal every four or 60 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: five days, but non pregnant adults can go about a 61 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:24,359 Speaker 1: week to ten days between meals. Today's episode is based 62 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: on the article the Harmless garter Snake It's your Garden's 63 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: best Friend on how stuff works dot com, written by 64 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 1: John Paritano. Brain Stuff is production if I Heart Radio 65 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: in partnership with how stuff works dot Com, and it's 66 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: produced by Tyler Playing four more podcasts my heart Radio, 67 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 68 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.