My buddy came back from a fishing trip today with a Blue Racer he planned on keeping. I looked it up and they are indeed rare and on the endangered list for my state. I advised him he should put the damn thing back where he got it which it about an hour and a half away. He said he was just going to release it in the woods because he didn't want to drive back to the lake. My question is it worth it for me to take on the resonsibility of driving the snake back myself because of a friends lazyness or will it be fine let go here or can captured snakes even go on about there same business after being let going after capture? I would think it would mess with the breeding of the snake if it is let go somewhere else. It looks to be about 4 feet long so I would guess it's an older snake and them already being endangered- every snake counts.
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Re-realeasing Blue Racer into wild
Replies (4)
I would take it back where it came from. Many reptiles have a "home terf" that they know and stick to where they know where food, water and shelter are located. Releasing the snake some where else will force it to have to learn a new teritory.
With this snake being endangered it should be given the best chance for successful breeding.
As long as it has not been in captivity for an extended period of time I see no difficulty in it returning to the wild.
A
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I admire your passion.
Some snake species adhere to a "home turf", others are more nomadic. For example, sidewinders are more nomadic compared to, say, a Timber rattlesnake.
I have no idea if racers are nomadic or not. Seems they might be, which means any suitable habitat is fine. But, it is always best to release where it was caught. That snake has found a way to survive where it was, so it may actually know that territory better than any other plot of land, no matter how suitable. It was apparently able to avoid predators where it was.
I went ahead and took the snake back to the lake and let it go around where it was captured. Hopefully next time my friend leaves the snakes where they are. It wouldn't of been such a big deal but the snake was endangered to begin with. I sometimes go herping and I live in Illinois, I just take pics and then release the snake though. I have found every type of snake except a timber rattler, they seem impossible to find. The only one I have ever seen around my area was someones facebook post of one and they cut it's head off 
Well for the reasons that Mark and Amanda stated you did the right thing and hats off to you for doing so... hopefully your friend has learned a little something from your actions... as well as those reading your story here... nice job!
Gerry
