Why isn't there a American Garter Snake Association?????

[GarterGuy]

Hey all,
I noticed in another post that someone had in their sig. line they were a member of the European Garter Snake Association. Ummm, why isn't there an American Garter Snake Association.....or is there one? It kills me how we've got these gorgeous creatures living right at our doorsteps, but they really don't seem to get the same respect as other native species, like Kingsnakes and Ratsnakes????!!!!???:confused:

[Daniel]

Hey Garterguy,

the European Garter Snake Association is open for Members from all over the world. So please feel free to join us ;)

Please let me take your post for introducing the EGSA and especially the "The Garter Snake".

Dear Users,

I noticed that this forum is a meeting point of a great number of Thamnophis-enthusiasts from many different countries and so I'd like to take the chance and tell you about a project I'm working on:

I'm a member of the "European Garter Snake Association" (EGSA). Maybe some of you have already heard of this association before. If not, just take a look at our website (EGSA.de - European Garter Snake Association (http://www.egsa.de)) .

Our association has about 100 members - mostly from Germany but also from other European countries (SWI, NL, AUS, DK, ITA, UK).

Every three months the EGSA publishes an A5 format, 60 pages magazine, filled with pictures and articles on garter snakes only written by our members and guest-writers. This magazine is called "The Garter Snake" and I'm the editor of it.

Until recently the magazine was only in German language, but I've been trying to add English summaries to each article and also publish articles in English as well. My goal is to reach Thamnophis-friends from all over the world and make possible an exchange of ideas about our animals and enable our readers to find like-minded people from other countries.

We are always looking for new authors with new ideas that are interested in publishing one or several articles in our magazine from time to time.

These articles do not have to be highly scientific - any text on experiences you have made with your animals, field herping observations, etc. are of great interest for the readers. The articles do not have to be in a certain form: you can either just type them in an email or send them as a word document without any special formatting - I'll do that for you. It'd be nice if you sent some pictures that go along with the article (of the snakes you are talking about or your cages or the habitat for example).

And of course you'll get a copy of the magazine in which your article is published.

If you are interested in participating, please send me an email and I'll let you know further details. If there are any questions, feel free to ask in this thread.

To get an idea of what our magazine looks like or what kind of articles have been published, please send me an email and I'll then send you an electronic version of one of the recently published magazines.

I'm looking forward to your answers!

Best wishes,
Daniel

[Cazador]

Hi Daniel,
What's an "A5 format" magazine?
Rick

[Daniel]

Hi Rick,

it´s half as big as a normal magazine, like the Reptilian.

Best wishes,

Daniel

[Cazador]

I'm glad that you have plans to translate more articles into English. I've enjoyed the ones I've read and would really like to read more. They're very informative and well written. Best,
Rick

[Daniel]

Hey Rick,

how about writing some articles instead of just reading them ;)

It would be of great help for me and my plans.

Think about it and perhaps you will find a nice story for the next issue of the "The Garter Snake".

Best wishes,

Daniel

[Cazador]

It's possible. I've been researching more and more about thiaminase "poisoning" in hopes of writing an article for this forum, but it seems like there are so many thorough articles already written from credible sources that I would simply be "re-inventing the wheel." (I hope that saying makes sense to everyone). I might have to choose a different topic for your publication, though.
Rick

[ssssnakeluvr]

I signed up to be a member of the EGSA a while back....nice site. Still waiting on a few pages to be translated. Would be nice to see an American Garter Snake Association!! A lot of the pet stores out here have a lousy opinion of the garters....one guy asked my why I would even want to breed them!!!! I knew the owner of the store and the guy got fired not long after that. The owner bought garters form me before and had been tired of this guy's baloney. He got hired at this store with no animal experience and after 6 months was telling the ower how to run his business...he didn't last long!!! I would be interested in going and AGSA if it was created!!! :D

[KITKAT]

Form one, and I'll join.

LOL!

[boeh]

Hi there!

I'm either in the EGSA and look forward to the next TGS. There are always interesting articles which you woudln't find anywhere else. The english part isn't as big as the german one. But every article is translated in english - as good as possible. I'm sure that it would be a great success if more people from english speaking countries would join the EGSA and write some articles for it. That would either matter that the english part would grow and the magazine would get more international. I think it would be better if you join the EGSA instead of arrange an AGSA. Otherwise there are 2 associations with their own topics and everyone who's really Thamnophis interested have to join both associations. I think, the exchange would be bigger if there's only one.

Cyrill

[GarterGuy]

Well shouldn't it be the World Garter Snake Association? ;)

[Thamnophis]

Well shouldn't it be the World Garter Snake Association? ;)

That would be nice.

[Cazador]

The closest thing there is to an American Garter Snake Association is the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, as far as I know. It's made of scientists who either study fish and herps or use fish and herps to study various phenomena. There is a pretty fair amount of garter snake research that's done and presented, but this organization caters to scientists... not hobbiests. In my opinion, there is a niche that could be filled here: perhaps in collaboration with the EGSA. Then, garters could be shipped to Asians, Australians, Middle Easterners, Africans, etc. to form a larger organization...


but we'd need a catchy name for it :).

[Thamnophis]

And some people would consider the Messageboard of Kingsnake.com (the Garter and Ribon snakes forum) as a sort of Americain Garter Snake Association.
I take a look there sometimes, but I "hate" the lay-out and so of those messageboards. I prefer the forums like this one. Much more well-organized and easier to look back for information.

[GarterGuy]

And some people would consider the Messageboard of Kingsnake.com (the Garter and Ribon snakes forum) as a sort of Americain Garter Snake Association.
I take a look there sometimes, but I "hate" the lay-out and so of those messageboards. I prefer the forums like this one. Much more well-organized and easier to look back for information.

Yeh, I agree Thamnophis.....I used to be on the Kingsnake.com Garter/Ribbon snake forum, but really wasn't impressed with how it was put together either. I guess I'm lucky that there is a Herp club here in Lancaster where I live and the pres. of it is a big gartersnake fan.

[Cazador]

I think Kingsnake.com offers a good business model, but it's not what I picture when thinking about a garter snake association. I think of an organization that has goals, occasional meetings, perhaps conducts or sponsors research, an so on. I don't think Kingsnake does any of these things. Like Kingsnake (and this website), it should promote responsible pet care and provide information to help and educate its members. I suspect that the EGSA has a charter or stated goals like these. Is this right?

[Thamnophis]

The goal of the association is: (in German)

Die EGSA möchte den Austausch von Informationen unter Gleichgesinnten fördern. Neue Erkenntnisse bei der Haltung und Zucht von Strumpfbandnattern sollen gesammelt und bekannt gemacht werden. Zuchtprogramme sollen die Zahl der Importe aus den USA verringern helfen. Darüber hinaus sollen neue Freunde für die Schlangengattung Thamnophis gewonnen werden.

Let me try to translate this in English:

The EGSA wants to stimulate/promote the exchanging of information between Thamnophis-lovers.
New knowledge about the keeping and breeding of Garter snakes must be collected and made public.
Breedingprogramms should decrease the import of snakes from the USA.
Trying to make new friends/lovers of the genus Thamnophis have to be made.

I hope I translated it in the right way.
Maybe Daniel can tell more about the goals of the EGSA.

[KITKAT]

Your translation was very good.

;)

[abcat1993]

I may have said this before but if you get the Yahoo! toolbar it lets you translate. Just pick the language and press a button and you're done. But it doesn't always work and doesn't know some words

[Cazador]

Holy cow. Can you provide a link where I can get that Yahoo! toolbar?

[abcat1993]

I just searched "Yahoo Toolbar" under GOOGLE! and I got it. I'm surprised that it didn't do what yahoo does and say SEARCH YAHOO and put a search bar under it when you search google on it (that sounds confusing).

[abcat1993]

I just tested it and it only showed the translate icon on the taskbar when I logged in on Yahoo.