Legitimate release/repopulation programs

[Stefan-A]

Link to original plan:

http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/850911.pdf

Looking for subesquent reveiws

http://www.fws.gov/cno/es/San%20Fran...view.FINAL.pdf

Recommendations for future actions:
- Development of an updated recovery plan and an expanded San Francisco garter snake working group
- Encourage conservation among private landowners
- Continue ongoing habitat restoration and enhancement for wild populations
- Complete captive holding facilities for use in head starting programs, the restoration of world-wide zoo populations, and as temporary lodging during habitat maintenance
- Increase research of population trends, demography, and phylogenetics
- Increase law enforcement at vulnerable locations

[mtolypetsupply]

I wholeheartedly believe they are doomed as a separate subspecies, and that they will eventaully fade out and intergrade into infernalis for good.

Interesting you mention that. In one of the reviews of the management plans for tetrataenia, it was posited that locale is truly the only difference between the two, but:

1. There was no funding for the DNA tests to study them
2. If merged with infernalis, it was implied that it would be a political nightmare, with the habitat set aside for them no longer required.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Interesting you mention that. In one of the reviews of the management plans for tetrataenia, it was posited that locale is truly the only difference between the two, but:

1. There was no funding for the DNA tests to study them
2. If merged with infernalis, it was implied that it would be a political nightmare, with the habitat set aside for them no longer required.

I was actually speaking at the Hamburg show with a very good friend of Phil Blais (his name was Don) about just that. It was really cool to meet him, he just happened to see me standing at the table holding my infernalis and asked me how I had acquired it. We talked about how it is very much likely that tetrataenia are actually just a striped locale of infernalis, much like I know of locale's where all the eastern's are totally stripeless.

[adamanteus]

Of course, Rossman advocates the elimination of tetrateania as a distinct sub-species.

[Stefan-A]

Actually, about the tetrataenia, the last study I read said they were looking for MORE captive breeding projects, and released populations.

"At present it does not appear necessary to captively propagate SFGS to enhance or increase the number of populations." p. 47
http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/850911.pdf

Granted, it was 2½ decades ago.

[adamanteus]

I think we're wandering away from the point a bit. The reintroduction of CB Garter Snakes is illegal and counter-productive, let's not do it or advocate it, guys.

[snakeman]

I am pretty sure they released a bunch of captive eastern indigos in florida.It was like 15 years ago.I am pretty sure all turned up dead or never found again.

[mtolypetsupply]

'nuff said.

[snakeman]

We had another thread on this a couple of months ago.

[adamanteus]

We had another thread on this a couple of months ago.

Dig deep enough, I think you'll find a few, the basic facts remain... it's illegal and it doesn't work.