Opinions needed!

[jitami]

First, let me say that I'm never looking for a garter again When I'm just going about my business they seem to find me So I'm walking out to my driveway tonight... in the middle of the suburbs... when a quick movement startles me. It's a nice sized garter snake, T. e. elegans, who quickly cruises under our boat... in our driveway... Yes, I took a picture or two and will share them tomorrow

Now for the opinion part... I didn't feel good about leaving it in the driveway in the suburbs, so for now it's in a 10g tank, a good distance away from Sly and the babies. Here are the options and I could really use your help deciding what to do...

Do I let it go back where I found it? Scurrying between our flower bed and driveway? We all have manicured lawns most have landscapers...lots of asphalt, cement, a pool here and there, dogs, cats, cars, and lawns mown once a week. He/She is good size so must have been doing ok out there, but

I could take him/her to the nearby greenbelt creek where Sly was caught and release it there, but again doesn't seem ideal

Do I keep it? If so, what kind of time frame and procedures am I looking at for quarantine, etc?

I truly want what's best for the snake. I didn't have any intentions of keeping another wild caught garter. It would put my right at my "bag limit" for native species so no biggie there, but... yeah...Help! Thoughts? Opinions? Suggestions? I need them all!

Thanks guys...

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

well its up to you, letting it go by the creek would be fine but as long as you can offer it a good home i see no reason why you shouldn't keep it. Your decision. A good quarantine would be 1-2 months.

[Elliot]

Well the choice is yours, but I wouldn't let it go away from where you found it because it could have a disease that you could inadvertantly spread to another population.

[GartersRock]

Eh.... I would just keep him given the circumstances if you are up to it.

[infernalis]

Tami - That is a tough call, Ultimately your call

Myself, I would probably keep it considering the circumstances.

I know how I would feel if I were to return it to the driveway, and then found it expired in the road, or sidewalk the next day.

Although that's just me Mr. Pessimistic, always wondering "what if" and imagining worse case scenarios.

[anji1971]

If you have the means to keep him, and he seems to adjust well to captivity, then I see no issue in doing so.
Unless you can pinpoint the area he came from originally, which is difficult at best in a city/suburb environment. Any open fields, or undeveloped areas nearby?
I would also be hesitant to just let him go back in the driveway to fend off the traffic, dogs, cats and lawnmowers.
But then again, I'm always up for an excuse to keep another snake..........

[Garter_Gertie]

I'm with Dekay, Lor, and Anj.

I could never justify putting the kid back in the driveway in such a populated area. And the lawn care maintance folks (you rich????????) are gonna hoe that thing to death if they come across it. Cats will eat it, cars will smash it, your neighbors will scream in horror and run.

If it were me - you wanted my opinion... - if I decided not to keep it (and I would if I had the tank, substrate, heater(s), blah, blah, blah [which I currently DON'T have...] - I take the poor thing to as woody, wet, happy-snakey kind'a place I could find. I'd not worry about different populations and all that if it's a given area of a couple miles or so. Two hours away? Nah. I'd not do that.

So, kiddo! Whatcha gonna name the new kid?!

[jitami]

LOL... no Gertie, I'm not rich and my kid has to mow our lawn But the house on either side of me and the house across the street all have landscapers... and yes, their lawns look better than mine Middle class, lots of families with two parents working and I guess it's just easier to hire someone. Yeah, I don't think releasing it back where I found it is going to work. The creek might... it's about a third of a mile away, not hundreds But, yeah, I'm thinking it's going to stay here... or possibly go to a friend's house... I would make sure it's eating well, healthy and all set up. If it were a male I'd be happy to quarantine it then let it share digs with Sly, but just on appearance I would guess it's a female and while she doesn't look gravid I'm hoping the wild girls here have already had their babies! They should have, it's a hot climate with an early spring. I didn't want to stress her out any more than necessary and it was already doing a good deal of striking so she's just relaxing for a bit. She doesn't seemed stressed by captivity, tho. This morning she was curled up in one of my awesome cup holder hides . And now she's hanging out of it looking out the front of the terrarium scoping out the kitchen

[Garter_Gertie]

Well! Congratulations, Mom! You're lookin' good for just having given birth!

Pics! WE WANT PICS! And what would be a good name for her? Cinderella? The poor step-child?

Oh! P.S. Prolly why you got her and the neighbors didn't. Less chemicals and less perfect and maintained yard. YOU GO, GIRLFIEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Zephyr]

And if you DO decide to release it, do it right near what could possibly act as a snake den or near a known snake den.