Do garter snakes stay with their young?

Do garter snakes stay with their young?

They lay eggs and do not care for their young after birth. Two Midwestern types, garter snakes and rattlesnakes, retain their eggs inside their bodies until they hatch, imitating a type of “live” birth typical of mammals.

What month do garter snakes have babies?

Common garter snakes are ovoviviparous (bearing live young). The young are incubated in the lower abdomen, about half way down from the snake’s body. Gestation is usually two to three months. Most females in the northern parts of their range give birth to from 4 to 80 young between late July and October.

How do you know when a garter snake is about to give birth?

You can tell a female has become gravid when her skin stretches, spreading out her scales. A gravid female’s appetite will increase dramatically (I feed gravid females every other day) until a week or so before giving birth, when she’ll quit eating entirely.

How long are garter snakes at birth?

6 inches long
At birth most garter snakes are less than 6 inches long. They grow little from birth in the late summer until their first spring. From that point, they grow fairly fast, reaching a young adult length of almost 2 feet by the end of their first year.

Why would a garter snake come in my house?

Like all reptiles, garter snakes are cold-blooded creatures, so they are often found in locations that offer warmth and food. These slender snakes can enter your home through fairly small cracks. Garter snakes often snack on small mammals, too, such as mice, and small amphibians, such as toads and frogs.

How many garter snakes are in a den?

Garter snakes are ovoviviparous, meaning they bear live young. After mating, females store sperm in their bodies until they want to fertilize their eggs. Garter snakes give birth to 20 to 40 live young at a time, though Beane pointed out that litter sizes can vary greatly.

Are garter snakes good for the garden?

Garter snakes are a gardener’s friend! Harmless to humans, they eat the pests that wreak havoc in your garden. Learn more about the shy but helpful gardening helper who just wants to live peacefully in harmony with you—and eat your slugs!

Do garter snakes live together?

Not so garter snakes, the harmless serpents that live throughout North America and part of Central America. Researchers have discovered that garter snakes not only prefer to hang out together, but also seem to have “friends” with whom they spend much of their time.

Why are baby snakes around my house?

If you find a baby snake in your house or garden, it simply means a female snake probably laid her eggs in or near your property. Usually, you shouldn’t expect any fully grown snakes around as the mother leaves her eggs or babies as soon as she’s laid them, but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care.

Where do baby snakes hide?

In addition to hiding in tall grass, snakes will hide in yard debris. Tall grasses and shrubs are two ideal hiding spots for these reptiles. They also tend to hide away in storage sheds, piles of wood, or in fallen branches and limbs.