Very Tactile

[ConcinusMan]

Thanks! That is so incredible to watch. My son watched it with me...we were both amazed. I am so into snakes now! It's official!

OK, just wanted to make sure. You're addicted. We are all really just garter snake "pushers" here on the forum. We wanted to make sure you got hooked.

[EasternGirl]

Lol...well I think my family is ready for an intervention soon. I made them all listen to "the plan" if the wildlife people show up. In Delaware, it is illegal to own any kind of snake and if you are caught, you get a fine and then they kill the snake. So I have this whole "hide the snake" plan. Is that just here or is that all over the U.S.? If someone comes and tries to hurt Selena....*grumble, grumble, grumble*.

[Mommy2many]

You could send her up to Connecticut....

[EasternGirl]

Not my baby! Lol...

[guidofatherof5]

Lol...well I think my family is ready for an intervention soon. I made them all listen to "the plan" if the wildlife people show up. In Delaware, it is illegal to own any kind of snake and if you are caught, you get a fine and then they kill the snake. So I have this whole "hide the snake" plan. Is that just here or is that all over the U.S.? If someone comes and tries to hurt Selena....*grumble, grumble, grumble*.

Best to be prepared in the event they try to execute a no-knock warrant looking for your garter snake.
With all that our DNR officers have to deal with I know that garter snakes are the least of their worries.
They spend a lot of their time dealing with drunks in the parks.

[EasternGirl]

Yeah...my friend told me they only come to your house if a neighbor complains. I highly doubt that any of my neighbors are going to call Wildlife and complain that I have a tiny snake in my care. If I had a huge python or boa that kept escaping and trying to eat their family pets, then maybe there would be an issue...lol.

[ConcinusMan]

Yes, a visit would only happen by complaint. They aren't going to bother with a warrant over keeping a pet garter snake generally, and with budget cuts in many states, they might not even respond to a garter snake complaint. I've dealt with them before (in WA) over snakes. They took my rubber boas but pretended not to see my garter snakes since I allowed them in without a warrant. They were pretty nice about it.

At the time, Rubber boas were on the state's threatened list. They couldn't care less about garter snakes around here.

[EasternGirl]

Right...well the law around here used to be that you couldn't own a big snake. Now, they apparently changed it to all snakes. It would be really silly for them to come take Selena away as "a threat". Did they kill your boas? What I don't understand is if it is illegal to own a snake in DE...why do they sell them...boas and pythons too...in pet stores? They just got a reticulated (sp?) python in at the store near here. They are the biggest snakes in the world, from what I have heard, and can be very aggressive.

[ConcinusMan]

Heck no they didn't kill the boas. They were on the states threatened species list at that time. I was told they would quarantine them, check them over for health issues/disease, etc. and if all is well, they would be released. I gave them the exact location where they were found and they said that if they were released, that's where they would go.

The garters I had were loved by the whole family and had been in captivity many years. They didn't see any point in taking them since they appeared to be well cared for. They could have taken them because technically it's illegal to keep native wildlife, and they were native.

Their main concern was for the boas. Rubber boas are native and like I said, at that time, they were considered by WA state, to be threatened. (declining in numbers and somewhat rare) That is no longer the case. They took them off the threatened list since then.

[EasternGirl]

Phew...good to hear! I have no idea what the wildlife people around here are like. I don't know if they would be cool about it or not. I know that the police are cool around here. Someone complained several times about my dog barking (he was just a jerk...my dog was not being a nuisance at all) and the police had to come to my house a couple of times...they were really nice and just told me to try to ignore the neighbor. Most of my neighbors are really cool people though...most have kids, pets...I live on a college campus so, many hippie types. I can't see anyone around here having an issue with me having a snake...even if she were a big one.