narrow-headed garter snake

[joeysgreen]

I would just caution if they were to suddenly turn up. Even if they were captive bred... was it a gravid mother taken from the wild? Did someone grab a group and breed them? It doesn't sound bad on the surface, but it's not conservationism, it's theft.

Ian

[guidofatherof5]

Once again Steve Schmidt comes through with some vital information. Looks like the Thamnophis rufipunctatus (Narrow-Headed Garter Snake) is Federally Threatened along with T. e. megalops (Northern Mexican garter snake). They shouldn't be found in the hobby.
Species Profile for Narrow-headed garter snake (Thamnophis rufipunctatus)
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014...2014-14615.pdf

[Albert Clark]

Once again Steve Schmidt comes through with some vital information. Looks like the Thamnophis rufipunctatus (Narrow-Headed Garter Snake) is Federally Protected along with T. e. megalops (Northern Mexican garter snake). They shouldn't be found in the hobby.
Species Profile for Narrow-headed garter snake (Thamnophis rufipunctatus)
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014...2014-14615.pdf

Okay! That's enough info for me. End of story for trying to obtain a pair of t.rufi.

[Rushthezeppelin]

I wonder if it's possible to obtain any special permits to help keep captive populations alive. Afterall an important part of species conservation is trying to be able to captive breed them in case their habitat completely crashes and everything has to be reintroduced or in the case of restored habitats.

[BUSHSNAKE]

The best way to conserve a species is to protect the habitat. That comes first. Ive been herping my whole life and stuff that use to be so easy to find are becomer harder to come by due to development

[Rushthezeppelin]

The best way to conserve a species is to protect the habitat. That comes first. Ive been herping my whole life and stuff that use to be so easy to find are becomer harder to come by due to development

Ohhh of course it is. Just saying captive breeding programs are also another important piece of the conservation puzzle too.

[joeysgreen]

Rush, captive breeding is being done in zoos (I can't say specifically for this species). Those are the applicable permits necessary. For captive assurance colonies to have any use for reintroduction it has to be run by a program a lot more vigorous than what hobbyists or any individual can realistically manage. If you look at Species Survival Plans (SSP's), they are run by experts that include biologists, veterinarians, ecologists etc that not only oversee the management and genetics of the assurance colony, but encompass the in-situ work to try and save the species in the wild.

[Rushthezeppelin]

Not saying post them on facebook for sale to anyone, but a properly vetted hobbyist with the proper knowledge and proper housing (and maybe even some limited veterinary skills) I'd imagine could help with the process.

[BUSHSNAKE]

The thing is, i could breed chicago garters and produce hundreds of babies a year. That doesnt bring back a population that use to live in a field thats now a walmart or gas station or house. Im just using chicago garters as an example cuz that what i see first hand

[joeysgreen]

lol, I get your point about Facebook Rush My only point is that there is a lot more to breeding for conservation than breeding the animals. So much expertise is involved that if you have it, you aren't really a hobbyist anymore.