New garter, gravid?

[Millinex]

Found this large girl near a big pile of rocks, after me seeing her from a distance go into a rodent burrow, she surfaced a minute later in a bush then disappeared again only for me to find her 6 feet away in another bush, managed to catch her that time though. The bush beat my hand, for the small cuts I got it was a bit bloody LOL, only herp I found in this trip, but was worth it!

She's pretty thick so I wonder if she is gravid?
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/CapAnt53/DSCN4425.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/CapAnt53/DSCN4426.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/CapAnt53/DSCN4427.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/CapAnt53/DSCN4428.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/CapAnt53/DSCN4429.jpg

[adamanteus]

Nice snake. I know it's been said a million times before..... but do we really think taking gravid snakes from the wild is wise? Surely it maximizes the damage we do?
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/3400-collecting-gravid-females.html?highlight=collecting+gravid
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/3683-disturbing-trend-really-disturbing.html?highlight=collecting+gravid

[Stefan-A]

Wandering garters are pretty robust, but if it's a female, then chances are that it's gravid this time of year.

[Millinex]

It's 100% female, I'm hoping she is gravid, she's a pretty thick healthy snake.

James- normally I leave most garters well alone in the park I went to, in fact I went with knowing I wasn't there to catch garters other than to release them. My main target was a large racer that eluded me last time and trying out my lizard noose. Had 0 luck except a very large wolf spider (I believe it is unclassified still..) that got away. However on my way back I noticed a bit of a construction area, they had taken a large amount of rocks and dumped them into a creek bed with rebar/concrete and I've seen the area before but they are doing a lot of work with some heavy equipment right in that area, I decided she/her babies would be better off with me than in the piles of rocks they where going to move. I mean she dove under the rocks the first time, and if she does that with large machinery I'd be worried she'd get squished.

[adamanteus]

I understand your motives, Mike. I just wanted to flag it up. It wouldn't do for us to indicate to our many silent 'guests' that it's okay to collect gravid females.
I'd love to see this 'lizard noose' in operation...... I made one out of long grass to catch some unidentified teiid species in Antigua a few years ago.... very effective, very fun!

[Millinex]

I understand your motives, Mike. I just wanted to flag it up. It wouldn't do for us to indicate to our many silent 'guests' that it's okay to collect gravid females.
I'd love to see this 'lizard noose' in operation...... I made one out of long grass to catch some unidentified teiid species in Antigua a few years ago.... very effective, very fun!

Yes, it's very important for people to understand they can't just go catching every snake. All of my wild caught animals are animals that are taken from construction zones.

My lizard noose is a piece of fish line in a slip knot on the end of a stick, I tested it on some things around the house and it works great, now if I could find some lizards...

[adamanteus]

Somewhere I have a photo of that unidentified Antiguan teiid.... it's pre-digital so I'd have to scan it into the PC, but maybe someone can ID it?

[Millinex]

Somewhere I have a photo of that unidentified Antiguan teiid.... it's pre-digital so I'd have to scan it into the PC, but maybe someone can ID it?

If I was as read up on my lizards as I was a few years ago I could probably help you with an ID. I still remember that spider I caught, I went through so many sites and keys to ID it only to get as far as Geolycosa and stop, and finding no recorded members of this species in my city.. I would have loved to have caught that big female today and sent some slings off to some various universities.. Would be great to have found my own species lol

[adamanteus]

Here's the teiid in question.

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//538/medium/Untitled-11.jpg

Most likely Ameiva fuscata, but I never bothered with a positive ID.
By the way, those talons are not mine, I hasten to add!:D

[Millinex]

Here's the teiid in question.

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//538/medium/Untitled-11.jpg

Most likely Ameiva fuscata, but I never bothered with a positive ID.
By the way, those talons are not mine, I hasten to add!:D
I was going to comment on your very well done nails but.... ;)

[bkhuff1s]

how does this work?

[Millinex]

Any ideas on a way to estimate how long until she pops? Since I have no idea when she mated...

[Millinex]

Well she's eating already, mm probably still in the first half =/ QQ

[ssssnakeluvr]

Any ideas on a way to estimate how long until she pops? Since I have no idea when she mated...
not really...... generally wild caught ones here give birth in late July/early August.... just depends on where you are...further north they come out later...july to august times, and more southern ones that come out earlier will pop anywhere from may to july

[Millinex]

not really...... generally wild caught ones here give birth in late July/early August.... just depends on where you are...further north they come out later...july to august times, and more southern ones that come out earlier will pop anywhere from may to july

Look like I got a few more weeks, fun times!