Steveo's Garters

[ConcinusMan]

I prefer to use a cattle prod on cats so I can watch them hit the ceiling. Flame throwers are also quite effective.

Of course, I'm only fantasizing.. err.. I mean, kidding.

[Steveo]

Time for an update, but no pictures because my camera broke last weekend. I'm going to get an estimate this week but it's likely I'll start saving up for a D7000.

The cat has learned that dead mice are yummy, so now I have to thaw everything in the closet with the door closed.

There's really not much to report. I am seeing more activity as the days grow longer. The males have drastically reduced growth rates. Females are still growing and I'm almost positive the green radix is female now. I have not weighed them in some time but I'd estimate the big female eastern around 70-80g. She's as big/bigger than either milk snake, which were born the previous year.

I've cut meals back to about once per week, and it's almost entirely a diet of silversides for now. They don't seem to mind. I'm considering breeding my own mice to save some money. If I fed mice to all snakes at every meal, then factor in the dog and cat food, the pet food would cost more than the people food

[rickymar81]

Very nice looking snakes. But I have to say I really like your plains. Those are by far my favorite

[Steveo]

Thanks!

I'm only getting one more garter this year, but I'm starting to get excited. I think I placed my order for 2012 in 2011, so I knew I had half a year to wait... not so this time

Still not sure what I'm going to do about the camera, but it's not going to stop me from getting out and herping this weekend. It's raining a little, which is like seeing a unicorn out here... but from Thursday on we should be warm and sunny.

[Steveo]

Weighed the eastern female last night before feeding and she came in at 72g. She'll need to be about twice that prior to breeding, yes?

[guidofatherof5]

I would concur, that being a minimum.

[Invisible Snake]

Weighed the eastern female last night before feeding and she came in at 72g. She'll need to be about twice that prior to breeding, yes?

How long is she? (My scale isn't working so I'm trying to roughly guess the weight of my girls)

[Steveo]

She was ~24" at 42g. I'd guess she's close to 30" now. I think most of the weight she's gained since then has gone straight to her hips :P She's about as thick as my thumb now.

[Steveo]

Decided to re-review the Colorado regulations before doing some herping this weekend and finally decided to send Parks and Wildlife an email. The regulations used to say that native species (or their progeny) could not be sold, bartered, etc. but some (including T. radix and T. sirtalis sirtalis) could be given as a gift. The latest revision removes the gift policy, so under the regulations I have 5 snakes that I can't sell, trade, give away, or release. (I can't release them because they have "been in contact with snakes from other geographic regions".)

I asked for clarification on importation of native species, because that topic is not addressed. I'm positive that they don't like it because of the possibility of escape, disease transmission, reproduction. and the like... but nothing says it's not allowed. There are take and possession limits (4 per species per year/12 herps in aggregate, including CB offspring), but my garters technically exist outside of this provision. I need to know if the same provisions will be applied to my imported snakes or if they are an exception.

My primary concern is that if I start breeding next year, I literally would not be able to give the scrubs away if the existing provisions are applied to my snakes. I might be in violation just by having a litter that pushes me over 12 snakes. So as much as I'd like to do selective breeding, if my only method of culling is euthanization, I'm not going to go that route. I would have to keep them and find some non-native species to breed (not that picking out some new ones would be hard :P).

[guidofatherof5]

Interesting situation. Keep us posted.