Lets experiment!

[Selkielass]

Hypothesis: the scent if female garters attracts males during breeding season.

Experiment : set out wood, cardboard or newspaper hides scented w bedding from mature females in known garter habitats, and see if the boys show up.

Materials;
1. soiled paper towels, newspaper or chips from a mature female garter snakes cage.
2. cardboard, wood or plastic to create hides. I'd suggest we keep the dimensions between 12plastic inches x 12 inches to around the size of a totes lid or newspaper section.(readily available materials for most.)

Procedure ;

Place your hides in good garter habitats. Scent some with used bedding material, and for control place some without scenting. Note size, type location and scent status of each.

Check hides after 24 hours, and periodically thereafter. Note time of day, temperature and success.
Note if malesthe are ofthe a differenthighly species thanthat the femalesize used forto scenting. Take pictures to share if you like.

Its not very controlled or scientific, but it should be a lot of fun!

[indigoman]

I had a male T. marcianus that had got loose, placed a shed of my adult female and I found him coiled around it the next day!

[guidofatherof5]

Oh, this is going to be fun. Neat idea.

[Selkielass]

The wild male easterner I encountered yesterday were coming to right up to my hand yesterday when I ruffled the grass a foot or so away from where they were sunning.. I handled my big female Abby earlier, and the only reason I can come up with for their curiosity and 'friendliness' is her scent lingering on my hands and clothing.

Now I wish I had some sheds to add to the attractant mix. Oh well. I have scented bedding from and some pieces of plywood that im going to try out, just to see what I find.

[chris-uk]

Look forward to seeing the results.

[d_virginiana]

My male definitely is. He's been going nuts trying to find where Harley is for the past week or so since the weather turned. If I hold him after holding her it's even worse because he can't see that the thing he's trying to court is actually my arm (or once, his own tail).

[guidofatherof5]

My male definitely is. He's been going nuts trying to find where Harley is for the past week or so since the weather turned. If I hold him after holding her it's even worse because he can't see that the thing he's trying to court is actually my arm (or once, his own tail).

Boys will be boys or in this case male garters will be male garters.
It's not their fault. It's the females.

[gibble888]

Boy is that a great idea! I once used a modified minnow trap partially buried with worms in it,took two days and had a tiny newbie in it. Tried it for a week after and nothing.

[Selkielass]

I think its a very seasonal thing, but still fun.
I dropped off a couple suitcases sized pieces of plywood yesterday, and positioned an old corrugated plastic sign I found along the way. Added paper towel scraps to a couple hides alteration in place, but didnt' find a.y snakes under them.

I did see two T. Butlerii out. One was a very exhausted and belly injured female who rode home in my pocket. (No attempt to flee capture. She did gratefully crawl into a nice clean water dish to soak. We shall see how her wounds look after the encrusted sand has a chance to loosen.)

Saw a good sized male also. He wasn't the least bit afraid of being handled, but he appeared uninjured and was near good cover so I let him be, and will check the spot again today.

It will be interesting to see who or what I find.

[guidofatherof5]

Can't wait for the next episode.