Thamnophis in zoos

[zooplan]

In spite of the fact that Garter snakes should be excellent zoo animals especially zoo reptiles, because they have attractive patterns, are durinal and snoopy, easy to handle and harmless, there are only very few zoos (in Europe)keeping and showing them.
Can you tell me wich US, Canadian or British zoos have garter in their stock?
Do you know wich (sub-)specy they are keeping?
Is there anybody out there, who knows even one mesoamerikan zoo, keeping Garter Snakes?

[drache]

I am fairly certain that the San Diego Zoo keeps tetraenia
and there are small local zoos that specialize in displaying native species, but I can't remember ever seeing them in a zoo

[guidofatherof5]

We have the Henry Doorly Zoo just across the river. I will check with them and post if they have any. I haven't been there in a couple of years and don't remember seeing any. If they don't, I will certainly see if they want to. I have a few locals they could display. That would be cool.

[reptileparadise]

If think I heard a friend of mine about gartersnakes in the zoo of Toronto. T.s.sirtalis flame.

He´s a zoo-freak and knows just about everything about just about all zoo-collections. I've send your request to him ;)

[ssssnakeluvr]

hmmmm....been to zoos in Washington, D.C., San Antonio, TX, Boise, Id, and Salt Lake City, Ut. haven't seen a garter yet in any of them... :(

[Sid]

I've been to a few zoos in North and South carolina, Georgia and Florida..no Thamnophis:(. Always disappoints me.

[adamanteus]

Somewhere I have a full zoo stock list or every individual animal of every species in every zoo in Europe. It will be a few years out of date, but if I can put my hands on it I'll post the Thamnophis species. I know a few zoos in the UK do have Thamnophis, usually donations, rescues etc. but they are rarely on display.

[gregmonsta]

Butterfly world in Edinburgh had a garter donated a few years back ... they sold it on (which is just as well as they had it living with about 7 royal pythons :rolleyes:).

[reptileparadise]

Do you mean this list James?
https://app.isis.org/abstracts/abs.asp (https://app.isis.org/abstracts/abs.asp)

[adamanteus]

Yes, Sjoerd! I did mean the ISIS list... although mine is a hard (paper) copy. Your link is far superior! Thank you.

[Stefan-A]

Seems that there is a male T. proximus in a zoo in this country. :rolleyes:

[Gijs & Sabine]

"Blijdorp Zoo" in Rotterdam (The Netherlands) have tetrataenia. They were the first that brought them into Europe.

[adamanteus]

Oh, really? I always thought it was Jersey Zoo.

[MasSalvaje]

There aren't any at any of the Zoos I have been too........I wonder why that is? I know the Zoo in Utah has a lot of the native species but for some reason they decided to leave out the Garters. Maybe that is because you can find them anywhere? Beats me.....

-Thomas

[Zephyr]

I am fairly certain that the San Diego Zoo keeps tetraenia
and there are small local zoos that specialize in displaying native species, but I can't remember ever seeing them in a zooI took a trip to the San Diego Zoo last summer. To my surprise, they didn't have any tetraenia. ):

[guidofatherof5]

There aren't any at any of the Zoos I have been too........I wonder why that is? I know the Zoo in Utah has a lot of the native species but for some reason they decided to leave out the Garters. Maybe that is because you can find them anywhere? Beats me.....

-Thomas

You're probably right. It's the commonality. People don't go to the zoo to see what's in their backyard. I've got a friend with contacts at the Henry Doorly Zoo to see if they do and if not whether they want to display them.