First garters of the year

[Elliot]

It already gets in the 80s here, but all I've seen is a Texas brown snake. There aren't any garters here, but there are a few western ribbons left that people haven't managed to kill yet.

[ClosedCasket88]

well more good news, yesterday i went out again and found a garter ball going on at the banks edge , i counted 5 of them all twitchin up and balled up , never seen anything like it around here in these trashy parts of philladelphia ,PA. it was a rare moment and a awesome one at that.besides them i found
bout 5 others all over 3 ft with an exeption of a smal poss male i found before i left.
today im going to be taking a big trip an hour outa this sh*Thole that i live near and going out to the brandywine river , theres a good strectch of woods along the river that should hold lotsa fun stuff, its in the 70's today , i figure if ive been seening them out there yesterday and the day before in the 50's n 60's then there should b more today and maybee the possiblities of a milksnake or a blackrat possibly along with soem box turtles maybee. who knows . ill get back to yas.
Good luck garter guy
let me know how u make out
i will be bringing a camera today =)

[GarterGuy]

Well it was a really nice day for a hike today...got in the mid 70's, but I saw nothing. Yeh, some birds and squirrels and such, but nothing reptilian. I'm begining to think that the spot where I find the garters, has then because the lake has a very high frog population in it. I'm thinking that they den up some where else in the woods. Didn't really see any rocky areas or such where I'd think there'd be a den site anywhere around the lake. Oh well, still was a nice day, but does make me jealous of your finds Ryan!
Roy

[drache]

It shouldn't, Rhea. There are some interesting studies out of Manitoba showing that the reproductive season of their red-sided garters can actually be extended following cold weather fluctuations. The cold weather sort of acts to re-synchronize male and female reproductive behavior.
After males and unmated females lost interest in the lab, they were exposed to a mini-brumation (4C for 36 hours). Upon their second "emergence" the males and females began courting again.

Also remember that the Manitoba red-sided garters have evolved to tolerate (and in fact become stimulated by) to these temperature fluctuations.

Rick

I didn't mean to leave the quote so long, but I'm not sure what to cut.

My concern is that some species actually need a minimum of four weeks of solid cold weather to get ready to reproduce and I don't know that we have had even one at a stretch. So I think that even with the mini-brumation the idea is to re-synch them after the basic pre-requisites are met.
I cannot imagine that they ever get temps in the 60s for extended periods in February in Manitoba. It's just a bit high.
Here, we've only had two serious frost periods this season and neither lasted a week.

[Snaky]

I don't think it's "needed" per se. At least not for all species of garters. This has been proven in captivity, where there have been breeding without brumation. I know the example of cyrtopsis, which normally has a long brumation in nature, but which has reproduced without any brumation in captivity.

What I do agree on that it's healthier for the snakes and the offspring is also healthier.

[drache]

It's good to know that it doesn't affect them that much.
I was just reading the Mutschman book earlier, and I think it was T. s. parietalis he was referring to , but I remember him quoting research that found that without at least 4 weeks of below 4ºC there is no follicle formation.
Up North they're probably getting enough cold.
I imagine that if the weather patterns will keep getting warmer, eventually they'll adapt.

[suzoo]

Hi all! Its been awhile, I've been gone on vacation. I got back just in time to see my first Garters this year! My daughter lives in town and has a high grass water drainage ditch across the street from her house. We decided to take a walk, and I counted 10 garters, all in about 50 feet along the grass beside the road! They were all male, (yes, I checked) and none were over 2 feet long.
YEAH!!!! IT'S FINALLY SPRING!!!!
Its supposed to rain today and be cold today and tomorrow, but I'm going herping anyway!!!!
Sue

[Sid]

Well now we are having temps in the upper 70 to 80 F and still not found my first garter this year. Did have a productive day Thursday. One Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta- Black Rat and one unusual find in a Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculata- Mole King Snake. She measured (in hand) about 47 inches, so a good find. Brought her home for a couple of days to get photos then will release her in another day or two. Really has an attutidue.

Sid

[ClosedCasket88]

look in blue garter post to see my blue eastern find. it was a dead one though=(