question from a newby

[tmash007]

I took in a garter snake after our weather in Ohio had become decidedly cold, (frost/snow). I found him when he was tiny, (@ 1/2 the diameter of a normal worm). I wasn't sure if he would have enough time to hibernate and I knew the others in the building would have killed him had I not stepped in. So I took him in. My original intent was to release him once the weather was sufficient, but I am worried that I may have effected his instinct to hunt on his own. Keeping him is not a problem, (I would love to), but I want to do what is best for the snake first. Any advice?

[adamanteus]

I don't think you will have adversly effected his ability to hunt for himself. If you plan on releasing him just don't handle him too much. If you choose to keep him you've come to the right place, the guys on this forum are well informed and very helpful. You won't go far wrong if you follow the concensus of opinion here.

James.

[abcat1993]

According to Cazador, you shouldn't. He posted somewhere about it, or maybe he PM'd me. I don't know so maybe he'll explain it.

[adamanteus]

I'm not so sure....In my experience snakes don't become "imprinted" on humans as say a bird would. If it isn't handled too much, and isn't kept bin captivity for an exceptionally long period it will just revert to it's wild state as soon as it's released. The choice is yours.

[Cazador]

Hi Matt,

Welcome to the forum. There are good reasons why not to release a snake that has been in captivity. They still retain their sense of smell (prey detection) and hunting instinct, but they might pose a risk to local populations. If the snake has been brumating, then it's less likely to have been stressed out by confinement and would be a better candidate for release (if you choose). Since garters disperse in the spring, the odds of an unhealthy snake affecting a lot of other snakes are somewhat lower. Here's a link to the post to which abcat was referring (Forum Newbie). Best wishes,

Rick