Plains garter snake (Thamnophis radix)

Short answers

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

From 115×70×45 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, garter snakes).

Plains garter snake: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 22–28 °C, basking spot 32 °C, at night 14–18 °C.

Plains garter snake: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 5.0).

Plains garter snake: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 8–12 years.

Plains garter snake: Is it suitable for beginners?

Yes – it is considered suitable for beginners (difficulty: Beginner).

Climate

Daytime temperature

22–28 °C

Night temperature

14–18 °C

Basking spot

32 °C

Humidity

50–65 %

UVB

Essential (UVB 5.0)

Enclosure

Minimum size

from 115×70×45 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, garter snakes)

Substrate

Bark mulch with leaf litter, a cork hide, a large water dish, climbing branches

Feeding

Food

Fish (low in thiaminase), earthworms, frozen-thawed mice

Feeding interval

2×/week

Key facts

Adult size

60–90 cm

Life expectancy

8–12 years

Origin

The central USA, southern Canada – prairie

Protection status

Not listed under CITES

Brumation

A winter rest of 10–14 weeks at 6–12 °C

Cohabitation

A group is possible (similarly sized animals). Even where group keeping works, the feeding accident remains the risk: always feed them singly, ideally in separate boxes, and only house animals of roughly the same size together.

Notes

Live-bearing, diurnal and easy to watch – one of the best beginner's snakes. When feeding fish, use species low in thiaminase, or vitamin B1 deficiencies threaten.

Do you keep this 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 Plains garter snake (Thamnophis radix) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (from 115×70×45 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, garter snakes)), substrate (Bark mulch with leaf litter, a cork hide, a large water dish, climbing branches), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.