any accidental wild Tham population in Europe

[wolfpacksved]

Quite a few European keepers on the boards. Any introduced wild populations of Thamnophis in Europe?

[katach]

I'm not Europe, but would releasing to the wild be legal? From what I've heard here on the forum wild populations in most areas are strictly protected.

[infernalis]

Yes it would be illegal. However escapees could find one another.

[guidofatherof5]

I believe there is talk about some wild Thamnophis being found in Europe. Can't remember who I was talking to when that came up. I don't think anything has been comfirmed but then again I may be wrong.

[Stefan-A]

I believe there is talk about some wild Thamnophis being found in Europe. Can't remember who I was talking to when that came up. I don't think anything has been comfirmed but then again I may be wrong.

Have heard about it, including a supposedly established population in southern Sweden, but it appears that it's a myth based on one or possibly two specimens found in the last 20-30 years.

[chris-uk]

What would be the minimum number to form a sustainable population? What sort of range do individual garters cover within a breeding population?
I suspect that the number required within a relatively small area would be quite high.

I expect there are odd escapees that survive for years in the wild, but not a population. Anyone deliberately releasing enough garters to form a wild population would be both seriously irresponsible and also breaking some law or another (not sure what law it would be in the UK).

[hjelte]

Yup, in what you in english would call a province, in "Halland", about 1 1/2 hours south of Gothenburg, there supposedly is a population of T.S Parietalis. As Stefan says though, is seems to be more of a myth upon further investigation online. I live fairly close, and had I believed there was any substance to this rumour, I would be out herping right now

[chris-uk]

There we go, in the UK:

Section 14(1) of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 makes it an offence for any person to release or allow to escape into the wild any animal which is of a kind which is not ordinarily resident in and is not a regular visitor to Great Britain in a wild state.

So in principle you could be prosecuted if your snakes escape by accident because you hadn't taken the measures necessary to prevent them from escaping. I'm not sure how heavily the law is enforced, one snake you'd probably get away with, but freeing 20 babies may be pushing your luck.

[hjelte]

Do you need a special permit for "1.0.0 - Homo sapiens called Chris" ?

[chris-uk]

Do you need a special permit for "1.0.0 - Homo sapiens called Chris" ?

She needed a marriage license for that one.