Finding Garters in Calgary?

[TheArtist]

Well checked the forest again, nothing =( I'm going to the pasture tomorrow while my dads out of town (he's not big into snakes and would kill me if he knew I was intentionally trying to find them).I'm hoping to find something back there. There are horses and thats why I'm not sure if I will find any, do snakes tend to avoid locations with large hoofed animals? If i was a snake i'd avoid horses, I've seen a horse stomp on a snake before, eek.

[TheArtist]

Checked the pasture today (managed to rip my pants on the barb wire -.-) and didn't find a single snake. I check under bags and rocks (we have a lot of black beetles around) and under wood, in the sun and shade and found absolutely nothing. I think I'm going to go down to one of the parks we have in town that boasts having two species of garter snake, but I'm very sad that I found nothing in my area. I was considering leaving out some smelly trout but I figure it will attract all the neighbors cats instead!

[Boots]

I would suggest checking the Alberta Reptile society forum and seeing if anyone has a better idea for the Calgary area. I know there are dens around as some of the Edmonton Society went on a field trip recently to visit one of them. When I have spotted them myself, it has always been by lakes and slow moving streams.

Jason

[TheArtist]

TARAS wasn't super helpful unfortunately
Anyways checked a South face rocky water run-off surrounded by prairie grass with moving water at the bottom. After flipping tons of rocks, that really looked like they should have a snake under them all I got to see was a young hare, a shrew and a little water bug making serpentine patterns in the water. I'll go check some of those rocks again I think...
It's a bit dissapointing, I wonder if there are non in my area

[reddeerexotics]

i have a gerter you can photograph if you d like i live in red deer aswell i have boa constrictors, carpet pythons, kings corns and a bunch more