Why arent they popular?

Why arent gartersnakes popular? I live in the Netherlands, most people here dont like gartersnakes. They think they are for the beginners (the stupid)..WHY???
these animals are great! Very lively, colorfull, not to big, they dont smell (although few people believe that) and they show very natural behaviour in their tanks...
how is the 'situation' in other parts of the world???
(sorry for any mistakes...hadn't had english classes for 2 years now )

That is really an opinion that all depends on the person. They are certainly popular here in the US. Here in California we have many different species, all beautiful animals. I am just not into them, I have owned them before and had to deal with the musk that they produce. It is not bad, but having them musk me everytime I tried to hold them was more then I wanted to deal with. Maybe later on when I have a bigger place I might start keeping them again.

The musk is the reason I don't keep them either. Although my milks can be as bad sometimes....

We have them all over here in Iowa as well, and though I kept little ones as a kid when I couldn't get anything else, I just don't like the musking either now that I have a choice.

There are some really attractive ones out there however.....

I have four and I love them. They are incredibly personable. The musk is awful, but if you handle them regularly they quickly get over it. If you do short handling sessions daily, picking up the snake quickly, but gently and letting it just slide through your fingers (don't forcibly restrain) the snakes are through with musking within two weeks or less. After this initial period of intensive handling you can scale it back to two or three sessions a week (some will revert if you stop entirely).
-Alice

hmmm, the musk is a good point. Haven't thought of that because I handle my animals only when I really have to (vets, cleaning).
But still, they never musk me...
But its really nice to hear people in the US still like them. Could it have anything to do with the fact they are native to most places in the US?

Perhaps different varieties of garters are less likely to musk? I think the ONLY garter that didn't musk when I handled it was a large specimen that got caught in the bird netting I had around my garden....poor thing was so tired out from struggling to get free, he probably didn't have it left in him to do it. Still, it was my kids' first experience with a snake many years ago, and so began their fascination....

I guess because they are so common (and the musking, lol) they are a snake I've just never really considered keeping as a captive. I prefer to watch them eating the pests in my yard.

I just picked up a pair of baby eastern blacknecks and a pair of baby albino checkers. I've had checkers in my store before and they didn't seem to musk too much. I had a chance to get some red sides but the guy wanted too much money for them. He also had some melanistic easterns that were cool but again a bit more than I wanted to spend.

My wc garter doesn't musk at all. Not when I caught it, and never since. The few babies im raising I've handled since birth, so I can't imagine them musking on me either.

I think garters are cool little critters, but personally I prefer larger snakes, somewhere around 5ft. I just like constrictors better 'cause they hang on to you when you handle them. Sometimes if I'm not careful my garters would slide right out of my hands, especially the babies.

I kept garters ever since childhood, never had one musk me, ever lol...they are escape artists, tho...