SpeciesCommon garter snake
Common garter snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
Diurnal, lively and therefore easy to observe. Diet is the critical point: an exclusively fish-based diet leads to deficiencies.
- Group
- Snake
- Level
- Beginner
- Origin
- North America
Where the species comes from
- World region
- North America
- Countries
- From Canada to the southern United States
- Habitat
- Water margins, damp meadows, woodland and marsh edges
The app does not yet hold an origin entry for this species. The distribution given here comes from the specialist literature.
The natural habitat is the yardstick for how you furnish an enclosure. Knowing where an animal comes from is knowing why it needs heat zones, hides and a particular humidity.
Husbandry at a glance
The same details appear in the animal’s profile inside the app.
- Enclosure
- A spacious, escape-proof enclosure. The Animal Welfare Ordinance sets no minimum size for garter snakes. The reference is the German 1997 expert report on reptile keeping: for two animals at least 1.25 × 0.75 × 0.5 body lengths, i.e. 113 × 68 × 45 cm for a total length of 90 cm, plus 20% more space for each further animal.
- Temperature
- Basking spot 28–32 °C, cool side 22–24 °C.
- Humidity
- Around 35–60 %, with damp areas in places.
- Lighting
- Bright daylight and UVB are advisable.
- Substrate
- A moisture-buffering, not wet substrate.
- Furnishings
- Hides, plants, low branches and cover.
- Water
- A larger, clean water bowl.
- Feeding
- A varied, professionally appropriate diet; prefer whole suitable prey and note the thiaminase risk with fish.
- Behaviour
- Diurnal to crepuscular, very quick.
- Handling
- Briefly and close to the ground.
- Cohabitation
- Housing singly is the simplest solution; groups only under close control.
- Health
- Dietary errors, skin, breathing and parasites.
- Seasonal cycle
- Two to three months of winter rest at 8–12 °C. In North America the common garter snake ranges up into Canada and is one of the most cold-tolerant snakes of all; the rest is part of its yearly rhythm. Shorter and warmer for animals from the south of the range. Stop feeding two weeks beforehand.
- Safety
- Do not feed a permanently one-sided diet of unsuitable fish.
Legal position in Switzerland
No permit foreseen
No permit. Garter snakes have a Duvernoy’s gland. The genus Thamnophis is, however, on the list of harmless venomous snakes in the federal veterinary office’s ordinance on keeping wild animals (SR 455.110.3) and is therefore exempt from the permit requirement under Art. 89 let. h of the Ordinance
No certificate of competence foreseen
No proof of competence required. It is only demanded for the animals named in Art. 89 of the Ordinance
No CITES listing
Not listed in the CITES appendices: Import and transfer require no species-protection papers. Keep the proof of purchase nonetheless
Minimum enclosure dimensions
Annex 2, table 5 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance does not list this species. Among snakes the table names only giant snakes (pythons and boas), elapids, vipers and pit vipers, and a few venomous or dangerous colubrids; for the rest no figure appears there.
The general rule in Annex 2 (letter K) then applies: the enclosure must be large enough for everything the species needs (hides, basking spot, climbing branches) to be arranged sensibly. As a yardstick, the ordinance points to expert opinions on a scientific basis. There is therefore no binding figure. The guide values in the calculator come from the 1997 expert report. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office.
What the enclosure must provide
Provide species-appropriate heat and light zones, UV-B where needed, suitable substrate, retreats, climbing or digging options, water and natural rest periods.
Paperwork
Keep the purchase contract and proof of origin. Use the scientific name to check CITES and import status reliably.
These details are a guide, not legal advice. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office; the text of the ordinance is what counts. More on the legal position
