Need very quick assistance...

[GRT]

Hello,

I just need some quick assistance. My neighbor found a garter snake in the backyard today and I took it in so it wouldn't get killed.

Although I'd like to, I can't keep the snake (and don't want to stress it out anyway by trying to hold it in captivity) so I want to release it into the wild. I don't want to let it go anywhere around here where people's backyards are cause someone will end up killing it.

I am thinking of releasing it into a forested area here, which is also used as a park here.

What would be a good place to release it in?

I want a good place so it minimizes it's chances of getting hurt and so it can find a place to hide/find food/whatever.

Thanks. I appreciate a quick response because I'm going to be going out to release it in a couple of hours. Meanwhile I have gotten a small rubbermaid type of box and cut some small holes in the top (that it can't go through) for air and put it in a quiet space, don't want to stress it out too much.

Thanks.

[infernalis]

It would be best to return it to as close as possible to where you found it.

[Snake lover 3-25]

yeah it is too late in the season and it could end up getting confused and be unable to find a place to brumate

[jitami]

Yep, yep, yep... that's how I ended up keeping the girl we found in our driveway... don't know where she would have been better off, but at least now she gets a steady supply of food, lives in a climate controlled environment, and is completely safe from predators, cars, and my neighbors :)

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, GTR :)

[Zephyr]

If you DO release it, first check to make sure there are garters in the area, THEN also check for some sort of large stone pile or structure that they could use for brumation; it's late in the season, so he was probably looking for a place to overwinter.

[GRT]

Thanks for your assistance. I wanna keep the snake because I honestly don't know of a good place to release it and its getting real cold out here (50 degrees). It is ALL residential areas here so really, no real safe place for it here. It was actually found by a neighbor cleaning out his yard that has been untouched for most of the year so far, so perhaps it was hiding out in there.

I've tried to offer it food, bought a box of nightcrawlers from a pet store but when I opened it they were all dead. The snake showed no interest in the crawler I offered to it, so I removed it. I am guessing its because it wasn't alive and they looked pretty bad/damaged.

So far it has left urates and defecated in the cage and appears to be fine. I was told to give it some time to get used to the new environment so that's what I'm doing, trying not to disturb it unless cleaning for now. I will wait until the end of the week and will try to find some other worms to offer to it.

From what I read nightcrawlers are a good choice for food and convenient for me to get. I hope it eats because I dont want to do more harm than good by keeping it...then again it's so cold outside I cant imagine it surviving/finding a new place to hide on such short notice.

I've found another place to keep it in too, its a cage very similar to this one, if not identical, http://www.pet-shop.net/assets/images/le20060.jpg

I put in paper towels for substrate and a large water bowl that I keep with fresh water. I also made a hide out of cardboard and put it in but it wasn't using that at all, so I removed it because there is very little space. It's hiding under the towels right now, so I hope its fine.

I've checked it out and it looks healthy, clear eyes, clear vent, clear breathing as far as I can tell and clear skin w/no signs of retained shed or any other troubles. So it looks healthy and acts actively, flicks tongue etc. So I dont know why it didn't eat what I offered too...perhaps it needs more time to adjust so I'm not bothering it at all right now, unless absolutly necessary (replace water/clean up after).

Also, it doesn't have any heat, kept at room temperature but from I read, that should be fine. Was a bit cool to the touch this morning though when I cleaned its cage and I warmed it up in my hands before putting it back. Doesnt show any signs of agression, no biting, hissing, musking, nothing so I really hope its not stressed. I put the cage into a low traffic area where no one walks by often and cover the front part of the cage so as to minimize stress.

Any other ideas? I really hope it adjusts and starts eating because I cant see it surviving back outside.

If it was just in the woods or in the wild, I would've left it to it's own, but didn't want the neighbors killing it.

Thanks for the help.

[Zephyr]

Any pics so we can ID?

[Snake lover 3-25]

it may already have stopped eating because it was getting prepared for brumation..... you can try and feed it but don't be too surpriesd if it doesn't show any reaction to the food.... just keep checking in and asking questions on here and we will all help you with brumation ect.... but so far it sounds like you're doing a great job for your snake.... :D o one more thing it may not be eating also because it is too cold... you can give it a lamp and warm him up soon... but if i was right about him not eating because he is going into a brumation state then it prob won't eat even with the extra warmth.

[GRT]

No sorry.

It has a very light pattern, kinda checkered but really light. No stripe like I see on some other garter snake pictures. I tried to measure it and its about 10 inches. Don't know how else to describe it, sorry for the lack of pictures, but I am pretty sure its a garter from what I've seen on how garters look in pet stores and on the web.

[GRT]

it may already have stopped eating because it was getting prepared for brumation..... you can try and feed it but don't be too surpriesd if it doesn't show any reaction to the food.... just keep checking in and asking questions on here and we will all help you with brumation ect.... but so far it sounds like you're doing a great job for your snake.... :D o one more thing it may not be eating also because it is too cold... you can give it a lamp and warm him up soon... but if i was right about him not eating because he is going into a brumation state then it prob won't eat even with the extra warmth.

So it can be in brumation and active (defecating/urinating, moving about)? I thought they'd be sleeping (sorry for noob-ness). Thing I'm worried is how do I tell if it's just not eating, say due to brumation and is doing well or if it's not eating because of some other reason and not doing well.

Also for heat/light, what do you recommend and how warm should I go? The care sheet online I saw says 60-70 range with a bask spot of 70, is that correct? I would've honestly gotten it the equipment already, but I am afraid that if its not adjusting at all that the equipment will end up for nothing. Believe me, if it eats, I'd go out and buy it a good cage because then I'd know that it's doing well and has adjusted...

Then again, it appears that releasing it in the wild would mean certain death for it too...I want to do it good but don't want to buy up a nice cage with all the accessories if it wont make it in captivity. It's tough, I want to do what's best for it but at the same time I'm limited in what I can do.

[Zephyr]

No sorry.

It has a very light pattern, kinda checkered but really light. No stripe like I see on some other garter snake pictures. I tried to measure it and its about 10 inches. Don't know how else to describe it, sorry for the lack of pictures, but I am pretty sure its a garter from what I've seen on how garters look in pet stores and on the web.If you don't mind me asking, what state are you in?

[GRT]

If you don't mind me asking, what state are you in?

New York State.

[jitami]

GRT, what area are you from? Maybe we can narrow it down and point you toward pictures of what kind of garter we think it may be and you can just confirm by looking at the pics? At 10 inches it's likely a baby born this year. If you can pick up a cheap thermometer and get the temps up to around 80 it'll be easier for him to digest his food and he'll be more likely to eat for you. Just be careful because a smaller terrarium like that can easily get too hot. It's perfectly fine for now, but keep your eyes on craigslist, yard sales, and the like. I've gotten a few tanks for free or practically free lately :) You're off to a great start. I'm sure he'll come around for you :)

[Snake lover 3-25]

what color is the snake??? very dark? brown black? tan?

[GRT]

what color is the snake??? very dark? brown black? tan?

None of the above actually, its a really light color...more like light gray.

[Snake lover 3-25]

interesting....... how light?

[Zephyr]

None of the above actually, its a really light color...more like light gray.
Hmm... You may actually have a dekay's snake.
http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/stodek4.jpg
Like that?

[Snake lover 3-25]

lol beat me to it!!! i was just going to do the EXACT same thing lol o well...

[Zephyr]

lol beat me to it!!! i was just going to do the EXACT same thing lol o well...
EPIC.
FAIL.
lol

[GRT]

Wow, actually yes, it looks very similar to that. I've put it to "bed" so to speak, so I cant take it out to look and compare to pictures right now, but from what I see, yeah it looks similar to that. Uh oh, I might be in over my head here lol. I know something about garters, but never even heard of this species. Are they similar?

Help!

[GRT]

Yup searched for brown snakes and found this one on a new york state website,

http://www.wnyherp.org/images/BrownSnake.jpg

That is pretty much exactly how it looks.

[Zephyr]

Yep, Wayne (dekaybrown) and I can tell you about them.
Care is pretty much the same as garters; but these guys like slugs a lot more. Worms are good too. Wayne says he never has trouble with getting them to eat; I've had a bit in the past but nowadays I've found that all you need is a steady hand and some worm guts.
Just treat him/her like a garter, plenty of good drinking water and hides, and offer him/her chopped nightcrawler/worm bits or slugs. You can add some calcium or vitamins to the worms if you want; it may help a little.
These snakes are a leetle more personable than garters; they'll warm up to YOU faster, I mean.
**EDIT- I don't keep my dekay's with any supplemental heating and they do fine.

[Snake lover 3-25]

EPIC.
FAIL.
lol

thanks, THANKS A LOT!!!!!!:p

[Snake lover 3-25]

lol congrats:D i love browns:D they are the most good tempered pets you will ever have:D

[GRT]

Yeah like I was saying this guys (?) temparament/personality is awesome.

Okay, is it possible to feed it whole worms? Can I buy slugs in a pet store?

[GRT]

Also what temps do I need? I am having a hard time to find a good care sheet...

Also I know red worms are toxic for Garters, is it the same for these guys? Cause that would be an easy food source to get if it can eat it.

[Zephyr]

Also what temps do I need? I am having a hard time to find a good care sheet...

Also I know red worms are toxic for Garters, is it the same for these guys? Cause that would be an easy food source to get if it can eat it.
Room temp is fine.
As for whole worms, whole panfish worms are fine, but generally nightcrawlers simply need to be cut in two.
Most if not all pet stores won't have slugs, but you can find them around your house in damp areas. (Outside. lol Especially now in the cool, wet fall.)

[GRT]

Thanks for the help guys. The more pics I look of Dekays/Brown snakes, the more I think that this is what I actually have. Thanks for the identification help. Can the brown snake eat red wiggler worms? Those are readily available over here so I can get them no problem. Ive googled around and it seems they can, but I wanna know for sure from someone who is experienced with them.

I dont really want to go looking for slugs or have to cut earthworms to be honest if I can feed it something thats readily available...but if I must...lol.

So, the care is mostly the same as for garters right?

The evidence towards this being a brown snake just builds up...I read that they really like compost heaps...and I believe thats where it was found...hiding in rotting leaves. Now one care sheet mentioned that they dont do well in captivity, I hope thats not the case since some people here seem experienced with them.

I hope it starts eating so I can get it a nice cage with everything. Maybe it needs more hiding spots?

[Zephyr]

Thanks for the help guys. The more pics I look of Dekays/Brown snakes, the more I think that this is what I actually have. Thanks for the identification help. Can the brown snake eat red wiggler worms? Those are readily available over here so I can get them no problem. Ive googled around and it seems they can, but I wanna know for sure from someone who is experienced with them.

I dont really want to go looking for slugs or have to cut earthworms to be honest if I can feed it something thats readily available...but if I must...lol.

So, the care is mostly the same as for garters right?

The evidence towards this being a brown snake just builds up...I read that they really like compost heaps...and I believe thats where it was found...hiding in rotting leaves. Now one care sheet mentioned that they dont do well in captivity, I hope thats not the case since some people here seem experienced with them.

I hope it starts eating so I can get it a nice cage with everything. Maybe it needs more hiding spots?
Wayne says he's fed his dekays red wigglers for x amount of years with no problems, but they might actually be panfish worms. You may have to cut up night crawlers if you can't find smaller worms. :P
Care is virtually the same as garters, except these are okay without a heat source.

They do VERY well in captivity once they settle in. My female's a little piggy and she's wild caught.
**EDIT- You could look into another species of worm. European nightcrawlers, panfish worms, and the worms from your yard will all fit the bill nicely; they're small enough to not be chopped but large enough to provide a good meal.

[GRT]

Thanks, I will look at what worms are available in the pet store. I just dont want to accidently give it a type of worm that ends up toxic to it (IE Red Wigglers are toxic to garters).

Thanks a ton for your help and I am about 99.9% sure that its a Dekays Brown Snake now that I looked on Youtube and found videos of snake that look exactly like mine. Now all I need is to get it to eating. Thanks for the help, I will update you once I am able to try some other worms.

Now I need sleep.

:)

[infernalis]

Dekayi snakes make wonderful pets:D

Once it gets settled in, you will be amazed how well it does.

Worms and garden slugs are favorites, slugs are still out at night, and easy to find. (I take a flashlight out and look on the grass around my house)