In the field

[Stefan-A]

For some reason they seem a lot easier to come by, than garter snakes. I've seen all of them for sale on a local forum during the last 12 months.

The Viperas, not copperheads.

[adamanteus]

In the UK you hardly ever see venomous species of any kind for sale. The licencing laws are pretty stringent here. Guess I need to go shopping in mainland Europe! Do you have a dangerous wild animals licencing system in Finland?

[Stefan-A]

No, not to my knowledge.

[adamanteus]

Wow! I have to move to Helsinki!! Right now!

[Stefan-A]

Just visited that forum again, this is what somebody had for sale a week ago:

Vipera (Pelias) lotievi
Vipera kaznakovi
Vipera albizona
Vipera raddei raddei
Vipera wagneri

All Cb and with known localities. And he lives pretty close to where I live during the weekends. He had a Coronella austriaca as well. Can't believe I missed that one.

[adamanteus]

V. raddei would be good for me. Never seen that one in the flesh. Can you post a link to that forum, Stefan?

[Stefan-A]

I'll send you a PM.

[rwgsnakes]

i have had to many experiences with garters in the feild to even scratch the surface, but there was one day that really stands out....

It was last summer, after one of those hurricanes and we had like constant rain for like 3 days straight, the fourth day was about 75 degrees and sunny. Friend and i went to the state park, the creek was like 15 feet higher than normal. --that water fall is normally a dry rock ledge.

Well there was a bridge that had collapsed a while ago and just the sides of it are still there, well when we turned the corner to look at the broken bridge side, there were 2 groups of 2 nerodia spiedon's (northern water snake) sitting on top of each other. That day my friend and i caught over 25 garters, 8 waters, and say a brown, ribbon, and not 100% sure but we think there was an eastern milk---not sure if it was that or a water that (bad angle)

here are a FEW!!! pics from that day.

[rwgsnakes]

[drache]

some nice snakes there