M is Moving Fireheart

The Old Tank
This tank was simply getting too small for him.. he was as long as the tank and simply wasn't going anything anymore.   And since lately he's eating really really well and growing better because of it, so new digs were getting imperative.   I wondered about getting him a new tank when hubby said HEY!   Why don't you use one of the big tanks we have in the basement.  

The New Tank
The only real expense we'll have with the new tank will be buying a filter for the pond and I needed to get a reptile lid.   It cost a fair bit more than i would have preferred, but one does what one needs to do eh?   The wood stumps came from our Christmas tree, the rocks from and old rock garden we had, and Fireheart's hidey hole is an overturned in/out tray.

I am feeling a tad annoyed because my lad asked me to take a couple videos of Fireheart enjoying his new set up and they seem to have completely disappeared so I'll just have to get you some still shots.

it's amazing the difference it has made.   Fireheart, a garter snake, normally spent ALL his time (unless hungry) hiding under his yellow water bowl.

NOW we'll see him sitting next to his logs.

Checking out his mini pond.  Garter snakes are one of the few snakes the regularly eat fish.   Once we get a filter in it, we'll be moving his fish into the pool so he can snack whenever he feels the urge.    We get him minnows from the pet store and not small goldfish since overtime goldfish can make a snake unhealthy.   My son has a tank of guppies in the basement that we hope will soon over populate thus negating the need to buy minnows from the store.

We built him a burrow as that's what snakes like.   We made it in such a way that we can still see him.   It's actually quite fascinating...he sits there watching us almost as much as my lad sits watching him.   

It's rather neat with the new bigger tank.  There are distinct warmer and cooler spots so he will come out more and bask in the heat and then retreat to a cooler more "hidey" area.   Then come out again and move around.  Often after he eats we'll see him basking under the heat lamp.   My hubby postulates that it helps with the digestion.

We have successfully transitioned Fireheart onto eating mice.  it is not a normal part of a wild garter snakes diet (they mostly eat toads, worms, snails, slugs and the like).   But with the judicious use of worms and baby mice we got him transitioned.  He doesn't need the worm scent anymore to have a mouse meal.   it's a better diet for them to be on mice when in captivity... means their poops are firmer, there are less parasites, and it a more complete meal which means a healthier snake.

I have to admit, we only give him one at time, and if I, or the lad am foolish, we have two cats who find themselves VERY intrigued by Firehearts diet.   Our next goal is to get him eating dead mice... but we haven't quite gotten him to that stage yet.  I need to, along with my lad, do some research about how one does such a transition.

My son plans to give Fireheart's old tank to his toads.   I told him it'll need a good clean and we'll add a debris section so he can run crickets in with his toads and an area where they can eat and grow and the toads can help themselves to a meal whenever a cricket is silly enough to wander in front of them.    Currently the toads enjoy mealworms for their lunch.

To learn more about garter snakes check out these links below:
garter snake info.
reptiles.
PDF on caring for garter snake.
Take care of g.S.

Lapbooks and Unit Studies.
Homeschool share.
imam's homeschool.
LaToya.
A moment in our world.
Middle school lapbook.
Free unit study snakes.

I'll be linking up this week with blogging through the alphabet.