San francisco garters?

[RedSidedSPR]

Does anybody here have any san francisco garter snakes? If so where did you get them and how much do they go for? Being endangered and all. Most breeders I've looked at dont breed any.

[zooplan]

If you like to keep San Francisco Garter Snakes, you´ll have to emigrate,
or do it secretly in the underground.
It´s illegal in the entire USA.

[ConcinusMan]

If you want to, you can go observe them in the Wild near waterways along Highway 280 in San Mateo, CA. I've had pretty good luck finding them there. Dang things are hard to photograph though, they spook very easily and bolt, and tend to be way out on shallow water. It's a State Fish and Game Refuge and believe me, they are watching and are very protective of the snakes. You don't want to get caught catching them, even if it's just to take photos.

There's some awesome CA red sideds (infernalis) and other garters in that area too.

No collecting of any of them is legal and penalties are very stiff. You'll do jail time if you get caught messing with the San Fransisco garters. They are a critically endangered species. Highly illegal to possess in the US. Most of the captive snakes in Europe are descended from legally acquired animals.

[guidofatherof5]

http://www.epa.gov/espp/factsheets/sf-garter-snake.pdf

[RedSidedSPR]

seriously? No captive-breds? I've seen pictures of of captive ones in some of my books and stuff, but I guess they are not his. I knew they were illegal to catch, but I thought there would be some for sale... at a pretty high price. How do they get them in the UK?

[guidofatherof5]

All the current snakes are produced from the original snakes shipped to Europe many years ago.

Udo can give some specific on when they were shipped and how many.

[ConcinusMan]

Like I said...

Most of the captive snakes in Europe are descended from legally acquired animals.

Just put it out of your mind. Forget about keeping SF garters in the U.S.A. U.S. keepers have the advantage of legally keeping many awesome species of garters, and the advantage of observing them in the wild, but SF garters are off limits unless you want to travel to San Mateo, CA and observe SF garters (but not collect) in the wild.

Seems harsh, but in spite of "Euros" being able to keep CB SF garters legally, we still have the advantage as far as keeping a wide variety of Thamnophis goes.

[guidofatherof5]

seriously? No captive-breds? I've seen pictures of of captive ones in some of my books and stuff, but I guess they are not his. I knew they were illegal to catch, but I thought there would be some for sale... at a pretty high price. How do they get them in the UK?

The S.F. Zoo is working in a possible captive breeding program but there are many things standing in their way.
I've spoken to the director of the program and he states he's working with the E.P.A. in hopes something can be done in the future.

[ConcinusMan]

Captive breeding I feel is not the answer to saving this species in the wild but if they don't wake up and get a healthy captive population going before something catastrophic happens to the wild population, we could lose the species entirely.

I'm all for responsible and authorized collecting (Even if it's just to "borrow" wild snakes and return them) for captive breeding in zoos right here in the U.S. I would like to see healthy populations of these snakes in zoos, and to see zoos exchanging them for breeding programs. At least that way if there's a catastrophe in the wild, there will be a healthy gene pool of captives to save the species. Better to have them behind glass than to not have them at all.

[Stefan-A]

All the current snakes are produced from the original snakes shipped to Europe many years ago.

Udo can give some specific on when they were shipped and how many.

San Francisco Garter Snake : Thamnophis.com

Note the url and the authors.