Marnie's snake rescue

[EasternGirl]

So..I have told you guys that my dream is to have a snake rescue when I have the money to redo my basement and have an adequate environment for snakes in there. But apparently, God has different ideas. People are starting to bring me snakes. A lady I met has a friend who has a garter that she doesn't want...she is supposed to call me soon about taking the snake. The neighbor boys have decided that they are going to bring me every snake they find. I was delivered a scared and musking eastern a little while ago. I think it is a male...very friendly...very stinky right now. I am not sure if he is scared or unhealthy...I will have to watch him for a bit. If he is healthy, I do not want to release him back into my neighbor's yard...dogs and lawnmowers and such will not make it safe for him. I need to find a home for him or a safe place to relocate him. Does anyone want an eastern garter if he is healthy? He is about 2 feet long. All I ask is that you pay for shipping...I will have to make sure he is not sick and can adjust to captivity before I would ship him to someone.

[mikem]

Good luck with your rescues! I'd try to find a nice area to release them. One thing you could do though is if any people are interested in an eastern, maybe make a list and as someone brings you one, make sure it's healthy and adapts to captivity, then ship it off. Just an idea.. Keep us updated. Post some pics of the rescues and the ones you release, post some pics as they take off to explore their new home :)

[EasternGirl]

Right now this eastern is concerning me. It is so scared it musks and turns it's vent inside out if I even touch it. It hides all the time. It looks like it might be close to shedding though. I can't release it here because it isn't safe...we have foxes and cats that will prey on it. I could take it to nearby woods and release it. I was hoping to find it a home but I don't know if it is going to adjust to captivity or if it's hurt or sick or what.

[guidofatherof5]

Give him so more time. Some take longer to adjust then others.
Is he eating?

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Does every snake in your area need rescuing?There must snakes in your area because it suits them.If there wasn't any food or to many predators they wouldn't be there in the first place.

[chris-uk]

I'd consider finding that safe area to release it in. If it is healthy other than being scared does it need rescuing other than a relocation from lawnmower filled yard to nice safe woodland?

[EasternGirl]

To answer your questions...no, not every snake in my "area" needs rescuing. We do have wooded areas and creeks and places near here that are very safe. But in my neighborhood..the garter population has gone from having many all over my yard...to barely seeing one each year because the foxes and shrews and crow population has increased, and the snakes are being picked off. One snake I decided to try to let live in my yard a year ago...ended up getting bitten by a shrew and dying. The snake I have now seems sick...she is not doing well. It looks like she may have lost the end of her tail and may have damage to her vent. I am not going to release her until I can figure out how sick she is and if she is going to make it. If she pulls through, I will take her to a nice area near here and release her. She will not eat...she just coils up and her back end turns upside down with the cloaca prolapsed. She also looks like she has something on her...something white...she must have gotten into something, but I don't know what.

[EasternGirl]

The snake has perked up a bit. She is looking around and coming to see me through the glass. I tried to feed her worms yesterday but she wasn't interested. I will try to feed her again today. I'm still trying to figure out if she is hurt or sick. And, I still need to confirm she is a she. Perhaps if she gets better and she is a female, I will think about keeping her and putting her in with Cee Cee and Sadie after a long quarantine. She is very sweet. My son keeps trying to name her. Darn these garters and their mind control!

[Mandi0284]

I think it is cool that you want to do a rescue. I hope that your eastern does better. Poor thing, I feel bad that she was so scared.

Can you post pics of the snake?

[EasternGirl]

Thanks. I really can't get pics of her right now. She burrows and if I try to touch her, she gets very scared and musks all over the place and coils up and hides. I do not want to stress her anymore. She comes out a little to bask each day, but she is not eating and not responding well to me at all. I think I will have to take her down to the woods/creek and release her this weekend. I am still not sure if she is sick...but I think captivity is too stressful for her and isn't helping. I think I may just have to let her go in a safe place and hope the best for her.

[EasternGirl]

Well...I actually just went to check on her. I have been keeping a towel over one half of her enclosure to make her feel safer. She is out and looking around. I can finally see her whole body...and everything looks normal, except for the stub tail...but she is musking a lot. She will look at me and her tongue is flicking. I do believe she is getting water from her dish...but she will not eat or let me near her. My camera is broken though. I will keep an eye on her today and tomorrow and make a decision about releasing her.