Mexican wandering garter snake (Thamnophis errans)

Short answers

Mexican wandering garter snake: How big does the enclosure need to be?

From 90×55×35 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, garter snakes; applies to one animal).

Mexican wandering garter snake: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 20–26 °C, basking spot Basking spot 30–32 °C, at night 12–16 °C.

Mexican wandering garter snake: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Recommended.

Mexican wandering garter snake: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 8–12 years.

Mexican wandering garter snake: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

20–26 °C

Night temperature

12–16 °C

Basking spot

Basking spot 30–32 °C

Humidity

45–60 % (dry substrate, one moister corner)

UVB

Recommended

Enclosure

Minimum size

from 90×55×35 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, garter snakes; applies to one animal)

Substrate

Forest-floor enclosure: coco humus or a soil-sand mix with leaf litter, bark pieces, deadwood and rock piles as hides, one moister moss corner and a large, shallow water bowl

Feeding

Food

Its diet in the wild is hardly studied; the closely related western terrestrial garter snake is a generalist (fish, tadpoles, frogs, earthworms, leeches, slugs, small rodents). In captivity alternate earthworms, low-thiaminase fish and mouse fillets or frozen-thawed mice

Feeding interval

adults 1–2×/week, juveniles more often

Key facts

Adult size

45–70 cm (maximum about 75 cm)

Life expectancy

8–12 years

Origin

Mexico: pine-oak forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental from central and western Chihuahua through Durango to Zacatecas, Nayarit and Jalisco; highlands

Protection status

Not listed under CITES

Brumation

A winter rest of 10–12 weeks at 5–10 °C

Cohabitation

Keeping them singly is the safer choice: cannibalism occurs in the closely related western terrestrial garter snake. Pairs or a small group of similarly sized animals only work under observation and with plenty of space – then always feed them singly, ideally in separate boxes.

Notes

Hardly any captive experience; the values are derived from the habitat and from close relatives (western terrestrial garter snake). A montane forest species: plan for cool nights and a true winter rest. When feeding fish, choose low-thiaminase species.

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Related species

• Ahumada's alpine garter snake (Thamnophis ahumadai) – Expert
• Bogert's garter snake (Thamnophis bogerti) – Expert
• Butler's garter snake (Thamnophis butleri) – Intermediate
• Cope's mountain meadow snake (Thamnophis copei) – Expert
• Fox's mountain meadow snake (Thamnophis foxi) – Expert
• Yellow-throated garter snake (Thamnophis pulchrilatus) – Expert
• Common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) – Beginner
• Godman's garter snake (Thamnophis godmani) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Mexican wandering garter snake (Thamnophis errans) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (from 90×55×35 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, garter snakes; applies to one animal)), substrate (Forest-floor enclosure: coco humus or a soil-sand mix with leaf litter, bark pieces, deadwood and rock piles as hides, one moister moss corner and a large, shallow water bowl), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.