Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, everyone. I hope you can help with this. I don't know the first thing about snakes, but this afternoon my cat found a garter snake. She put a couple of small wounds into it before I rescued it. He/she is now in a big tupperware container with paper towels and water, like I saw recommended here. He/she seems to be doing much better this evening, is moving around, and I have even seen him get into the water.

For several reasons, I do not want to keep this snake as a pet, but I am worried about letting it go. It has been cold here, in the low 20s at night and mid 40s during the day. I assume that my cat got it out of hibernation. If I keep it inside for a few days to heal and then let it out, will it find a place to hibernate, or will it freeze? Please give me any advice about what I should do. Also, I don't have a heat lamp. Right now I have a light shining close to the cage. I read that I can put a heating pad under the container? Is that really safe?

Thanks for any help. Mary

Personally, with the conditions, I think you should keep it. You may not want to, but it was your cat that did it, so personally I feel you are obligated to do it if anything. If you just don't want to keep it overwinter, then I would probably try and find a wildlife rehab shelter that could possibly take it. I hope you cleaned out the wounds as cat saliva is fairly toxic to small animals and can easily kill them. 40 degree weather is not that bad, and I have found wild snakes in 40 degree weather. But 20 degrees is stretching it a bit. Either way, I think the snake needs to probably be kept until next spring when it can be sure that it has totally healed from its wounds.
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Andy Maddox
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

Hi, thanks for your response. I just wanted to let you all know that we have a really great wildlife rehabilitation place in our area (it is called Wildlife Images), and they took the snake. They were happy to get him/her, and I feel better knowing that they know how to take care of snakes, whereas I would have been afraid I was doing something wrong with the care. Anyhow, thanks again for your input.

Mary

Thanks for taking it there and caring. I volunteer at a rehab shelter here and it is a great place. I just might want to offer one piece of advice for the future: keep your cat inside. Cats outside cause more damage than just about any other non-native species. I would say close to 75% of the animals we receive at the shelter are caught by cats. But thanks for getting the snake in. I am sure he will be fine and be released when spring rolls around.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry