San Francisco Garter Snake

[CrazyHedgehog]

are you allowed them in Canada?

[anji1971]

Where I live, technically no, not in the city itself. But the bylaws out in the county allow it, and we do wish to move out there someday. Not to mention how many people in the city are keeping exotics despite the bylaw.

[i of the storm]

can you buy/keep them in the US?

[Cazador]

can you buy/keep them in the US?

Nah, they're on the endangered species list... dangerously rare in the wild.

[i of the storm]

Since its a subspecies, basically just a color difference, couldn't a population be created elsewhere, like on an island?

[Stefan-A]

No. The island has its own unique ecosystem and enough islands in the Pacific have already been damaged that way, but due to Boiga irregularis. They've spread with cargo ships and planes from island to island since the mid-1900's and they've had a serious impact on the local wildlife. The island of Guam is the most famous example, I guess.

I'm just saying that we already have a warning example.

[Cazador]

J,

You're bringing up the issue of a reintroduction program. I think the Europeans have proven their immense success breeding captive tetrataenia, but in order to do so in the U.S., one would need to be federally permitted, which isn't being allowed. Stephan makes a great counter-arguement. The threat is that the immune system of captive tetrataenia becomes compromised, and sick captives get released and intermingle with the few remaining wild ones. Then they become the death of the entire subspecies. A carefully-selected island seems to have merit, but the feds just don't take chances after a (sub)species has been added to the Endangered Species List. I think responsible professionals could pull if off, though. What's even more strange is that the feds allow a very limited number to be captured in order for scientific research, but captive breeding and reintroduction remains one GIANT step away. I have to admit, though, that I believe it would be extremely risky for a well-intentioned hobbiest to illegally give it a try.

Rick

[KITKAT]

In Ohio, we had a variety of Plains garter that lived only in a certain natural preserve. ODNR introduced some western Plains garters into the area to try to bolster the population.

They also had a breed and reintroduce program to try to spread the species further.

Result? They are now extremely rare, even in the small area where they were once plentiful.

Miserable failure.