garter snakes are common around here, they are small and harmless to humans. i've gotten bitten by them several times but there teeth are too small to pierce the skin. they are also communal, during winter you can find a bunch of them huddling together for warmth while hibernating. if you keep them as pets they learn your routines, as in cleaning the cage and feeding, they also learn to recognize you. when i kept them as pets i could never get them to eat crickets so i found/bought worms for them. they kill prey by constricting it, and when you hold them they like to wrap their tail ends around your pinky.
