genetics

[infernalis]

At least if they would allow T.s.tetrataenia in private US collections the species as a whole could carry on when that last tiny hunk of land is no longer able to sustain..

I have to concur with Udo, if nothing changes there will not be any T.s.tetrataenia left in the wild and the only remaining specimens will be the ones (in private collections) in Europe & other parts of the world.

[guidofatherof5]

At least if they would allow T.s.tetrataenia in private US collections the species as a whole could carry on when that last tiny hunk of land is no longer able to sustain..

I have to concur with Udo, if nothing changes there will not be any T.s.tetrataenia left in the wild and the only remaining specimens will be the ones (in private collections) in Europe & other parts of the world.

What's even more sad is the fact that the snakes on display in the U.S. zoos came from Europe(Amsterdam Zoo). The bloodline isn't any better for breeding over here.
I spoke to the person in charge of the captive population at the S.F. Zoo and he said that the Government was going to allow them to keep any injured snakes that were found.
Not the brightest news considering the injures usually come from lawn mowers.

[zooplan]

The captive population at the US. Zoos is down to 4 specimens !
They were purchased (with assistance of the Rotterdam Zoo) in 2005 from a Dutch private breeder, who quit breeding ´tetrataenia soon later.
The offer to use injured snakes for a breeding program brought nothing.
Since five years the zoos were not able to aquire one single San Francisco Garter Snake, no snake were bred and if they are not able to breed soon, there will be no disblayable T.s.tetrataenia in the USA anymore. It was very sophisticated to get the import permission in 2005!
I don´t think that there will come another occasion soon.