Baby Garter Snake: 10 Pictures and 10 Amazing Facts

Garter snakes may not be everyone’s cup of tea. After this article, perhaps even those who dislike them will find they aren’t so bad. Who could think any type of baby isn’t cute anyway? These big-eyed miniature snakes are so small, it would be hard to see them as anything except adorable. Garter snakes are also extremely good to have around and will do you no harm. Let’s delve further into baby garter snakes’ freshly created tiny lives with some pictures and amazing facts about the species.

1. Female Garter Snakes Are Picky About Partners.

Female garter snakes are picky when it comes to choosing who will be the father of their offspring. There are plenty of options for the female snake to choose from. Many times, people stumble upon a big pile of snakes in the forest.

The female snake gives off pheromones to attract male garter snakes when she is ready to mate. This is typically once she awakens from hibernation in the spring. Depending on the area, she could easily have many suitors show up. After choosing the winner of her affection, they will mate and go about living their lives. The males may hang around waiting to see if any other females show up.

2. Garter Snake Mamas Can Choose When To Become Pregnant.

The freshly mated female garter snake has another trick up her proverbial sleeve. She can choose when to ovulate and allow the sperm from the male to impregnate her. Many reasons can cause this delay. She may believe the area is not safe for the young, or perhaps there is not enough food. She may even delay it until the temperatures are just right for baby garter snakes to make their debut in the world. Many other animals are also able to delay ovulation and store sperm for a later date. Otters and spiders both do this.

3. Baby Garter Snakes Do Not Hatch From Eggs.

Garter snakes are ovoviviparous, which means they give birth to live young. Some other species of snakes hatch from eggs. The female can delay the implantation of the sperm for a year or possibly more. Once she chooses to ovulate and becomes pregnant, she will give birth approximately two and a half months later.

When garter snakes are first born, they are very much alive and ready to take off on their own. Some can’t wait to leave their birth sack and try to do so before they are even fully out of their mother! Once the baby snakes are born and out of their birth sack, they have extremely soft skin and must complete their first shed. This will provide them with a sturdier skin for life outside of the womb.

4. Baby Garter Snakes Are Born Tiny.

When garter snakes are newborns, they are 4.5 – 8 inches long. Some other types of snakes have fewer young that are larger, but garter snakes have many tiny babies! They do not grow exceptionally fast in the first year. On average, they will only grow nearly two inches from the spring when they are born to the summer of the following year. Once they pass that point, their growth takes off. In their lifetime, and depending on what species of garter snake they are, they will reach 26 – 38 inches in adulthood.

5. Baby Garter Snakes Can Have 50 Siblings!

Depending on the mother garter snake’s size, she may have anywhere from 5 – 50 babies. Some garter snakes have been reported to have almost 100 babies! The siblings do not bond or remain near one another once the babies disperse and begin their lives. If they all remain in the same area, it’s possible they could meet up later during the mating season.

The newborns may all gather near their mother snake for hours or days, but her parental duties end when they are born. Even if the snakes are born very late in the year, they will not hibernate alongside their mother; they will find their own spaces and take on the challenge alone. Not all of the babies will thrive. Some will succumb to sickness, others may not find enough nourishment, and some will be eaten by predators.

6. Garter Snakes Are Born Knowing How To Survive On Their Own

Baby garter snakes are born with a fully charged set of instincts. They are immediately alert and ready to slither away if necessary. They do not receive any parental care from their mother and never meet their father. They are born fully capable of finding dens, hunting food, caring for themselves, and hiding from predators. There is no such place as snake school, so the babies must be ready to survive with sharp enough instincts to keep them that way.

7. Garter Snakes Do Not Eat Insects

Many people believe that wild garter snakes eat insects, but that is false. They are not insectivores and will not eat crickets, mealworms, any form of larvae, or really any insects. What they eat in the wild is a combination of frogs, toads, newts, snails, slugs, and small fish. Some of the larger garter snakes may eat mice, but it isn’t on the menu for many in the wild.

As a pet, frogs and toads should be avoided because they often carry large parasitic loads that can kill a garter snake. In the wild, they are naturally immune to certain parasites from being subjected to them so frequently. As a pet, picky mice parts or whole pinky mice are a good choice, along with earthworms. It’s also very important to be certain the earthworms are free of contaminants or parasites. Newts and fish can also have parasites and do not cover the basis of a complete meal.

8. Garter Snakes Do Not Hide As Much As Other Types of Snakes

In the pet trade, many people thoroughly enjoy keeping garter snakes for many reasons. One of the reasons is the snakes prefer to be out and check out their surroundings and you. They do not stay hidden like many snakes. Of course, there are always exceptions since no one is the exact same. Overall, garter snakes are one of the friendliest and most curious types of snakes.

9. Garter Snakes are Active in the Day and Night

Garter snakes are opportunistic hunters and enjoy laying in the sun, warming their cold bodies. They are out in the day and night, which is very different from many types of snakes.

10. Garter Snakes Do Not Have Fangs

Garter snakes do not have large piercing fangs. Instead, they have small, sharp teeth for catching worms and amphibians. Their bite might hurt a little and should be cleaned but is in no way medically significant.

Here’s one final baby garter snake video for the road. We hope you enjoyed our article. Tune in for more interesting baby articles.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © db_beyer/iStock via Getty Images