Another snake den being destroyed

[ConcinusMan]

I just got back from a Dr. appt and on the way home I noticed huge piles of earth and bulldozers parked not far from my house, which just happens to be the nearest place to find NW garter snakes. It's an abandoned small aircraft airport on the edge of a wooded area. It looks like they just got started but there's still plenty of the area still intact but it won't be for long. Typically this time of year, masses of NW garters can be seen gathering and breeding just feet from where the bulldozers are parked. The entire area will be destroyed and replaced by a commercial development. There is no place nearby for the garters to go this winter because the area is surrounded by old and new development (buildings, parking lots, streets)

Earlier this year I found this handsome T. ordinoides at that location along with a few others:



I'm off work today and it's sunny and about 62 F. I'm going out the door right now to see how many I can save. The question is, would it do more harm than good, to relocate the snakes to a different population? or should I adopt out any I manage to save from the bulldozers? There's not a lot I can do to save the population but if I can save a few I think it's worth a try. Wish me luck. I'll report back soon.

[guidofatherof5]

Best of luck. The T.radix Ranch is open for any adoptions.

And they call it progress.

[Stefan-A]

The question is, would it do more harm than good, to relocate the snakes to a different population?

What would the intent be behind a relocation? What would the payoff be? Even if this population is doomed (that is still uncertain, by the way), the right thing to do, is to leave other populations alone. Unless it's a severely isolated population and already displaying signs of severe inbreeding, introduction of new individuals can really only do harm (depletion of resources, spread of pathogens etc.) and just it's not just worth the risk. When in doubt, non-intervention is the safest option.

or should I adopt out any I manage to save from the bulldozers? There's not a lot I can do to save the population but if I can save a few I think it's worth a try.

I don't suggest doing more than getting those individuals in immediate danger out of the way.

[zirliz]

Those poor snakes
I'd recommend just moving those in immediate danger

[indigoman]

Let me know if there is anything i could do to help.

[tennfan56]

How did it go?

[ConcinusMan]

I just got back. I did find 8 garters. 3 of them are babies. I found two gorgeous male orange stripers too.

The entire population is in immediate danger. The bulldozers were hard at work as I was collecting snakes. As I was saying before, I've already seen the plans for that property. It will be a commercial center and parking, leaving no empty space. There will be no habitat left and there is no adjacent habitat for them to flee to.

Evergreen airport is the location:

Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Southwestern Washington State

Arial view of the area:

The green patch you see with the airplane symbol is the patch of land where the snakes are found. They are absent from the rest of the empty space. All of the empty space will be developed, including the green patch. All adjacent empty lots are unsuitable and already "for sale" or "for lease". Where would you suggest the snakes go? Immediate danger? I think so.



I do agree that I shouldn't release them to another population but at the same time I saw an opportunity and felt compelled to do something.

Now, I have 8 northwestern garters that I'm sure would have been dead by years end and certainly wouldn't have any suitable place to live next spring.

I don't want to keep them or release them. Anyone willing to pay shipping for freshly WC northwesterns can have them. Please make it fast if you want them. I don't have room and I'll be keeping them in shoebox tubs for the time being.

[MlizGr]

Poor things. If St. George wasn't the kind who would eat other snakes I'd take one or two of them in. Good luck finding them homes!

[ConcinusMan]

Here's a quick snapshot of the group I gathered from that location.



I honestly don't understand Steve's magic powers of taking care of so many snakes but I won't question it. I'm sending him some snakes for sale and I'll be including this group of snakes in that shipment so all is well. They won't suffer the fate of the bulldozer and they won't have to struggle for survival in the cold, in the absence of their traditional winter home. I know it isn't much in the grand scheme but these 8 snakes will not be homeless this winter.

Well worth an hour of my time to go gather them.

Oh, BTW, that arial photo of the airport? The entire area within the picture's frame, which is now residential and commercial developments, was undeveloped forested and/or farmland as late as the early 1980's.

I mean, it was the "boonies". It was countryside with barns and livestock when I move here in 1977. It's now heavily urbanized and the main road went from a 2 lane country road, to one of the busiest traffic-congested 5-lane roads in the county. The only reason this empty space (and the pocket of snake habitat) exists now is because the airport didn't close until about 4 or 5 years ago.

[Selkielass]

Man, this group has been on my mind all night long- I'm glad they'll be finding refuge on the Ranch. Those two big orange stripes are very pretty- I wish I could say I'd take one in, but we really can't afford any more mouths to feed.