Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello All.
Well the little guy is doing great! This is the first snake that I have attempted to rehabilitate. The cuts on his tail are healing up real well and he gobbles down pinkies. At this rate he'll have a definite head start when spring comes.
I also found a wonderful place to rerelease him. Out where my parents live is rural with nearby streams and a pond. By they're house in the spring they can see as many as a dozen garters in a day.(The house is 120 years old and it's believed that the snakes are communally hibernating under the house,which believe me is like a cave) Thought this would be a good spot for him to begin a new life and he should have no problem finding the ladies.

>> Well the little guy is doing great! This is the first snake that I have attempted to rehabilitate. The cuts on his tail are healing up real well and he gobbles down pinkies.

What sort of treatment did you end up choosing?

At this rate he'll have a definite head start when spring comes.
>>I also found a wonderful place to rerelease him.

Sounds like you've decided to release the long-term captive.
Is it not possible to release it where you found it rather than translocating?
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

The tail is healing well on its own.I'm just keeping it clean.
Also it's not a long term captive. It's a wild garter that Ive
been rehabilatating for a month.I would also rather not place it back where it came from as the area has a lot of people,kids, and vehicles.(Suburban area)Sorry I know that your
opinion is I should keep it. I feel that it would be wrong for me to make a long term "captive" out of a wild born snake that can live quite well on it's own,without any attachment from it's few months of captivity.

>>Also it's not a long term captive. It's a wild garter that Ive
>>been rehabilatating for a month.

"Long term captive" is a very subjective term. I consider a month to be long-term in regards to potential for acclimation to captive life (no predators, fed regularly, perfect temps, etc) and exposure to pathogens. Not knowing the circumstances under which you personally keep this snake, I make the blanket statement that it'd be better for the local garter population for you to keep this one.

I think I showed a winking sad face after my last post; it turned out to be some green hysterical icon!

I would also rather not place it back where it came from as the area has a lot of people,kids, and vehicles.(Suburban area)

That's the case where a LOT of snakes actually thrive. Your snake may end up contributing to the local gene pool if you put it back where you found it--I'm sure there are other snakes which thrive there or else you wouldn't have found the one you did!

I get lambasted on other forums for my translocation of snakes (rat snakes and diamondbacks--in association with my local herp club) even for distances under a mile. Some species apparently try to return to their point of capture, unfamiliar with the new area, and die of starvation in the process. I don't totally buy into that; I figure even if they are out there wandering aimlessly they may wind up as prey for another animal (roadrunner, coyote, hawk) and be better off than dumped in the garbage (we have a lot of the "the only good snake is a dead snake" types here).

Sorry I know that your
>>opinion is I should keep it. I feel that it would be wrong for me to make a long term "captive" out of a wild born snake that can live quite well on it's own,without any attachment from it's few months of captivity.

You could argue that it could've healed on its own with no human intervention as well.

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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet