garter snakes..help pls

garterguy · 05-12-03, 05:59 PM

i live in NW iowa and live on a 7 acre farm.there used to be garters all over so ive heard...but now i guess they all moved away.can someone tell me where they find garter snakes please?i would greatly appreciate it.

tHeGiNo · 05-12-03, 06:50 PM

Hey, well before taking one you might want to check your bylaws, some places have bans on removing native species from the wild.

eyespy · 05-12-03, 07:33 PM

It's getting harder to find garters in lots of areas. Between increased population and increased pollution we people are squeezing them out. Try to look along creek beds upstream of farms and towns in isolated areas.

Beejay · 05-13-03, 02:49 AM

You could try setting up locations to attract them...like pieces of tin to bask under (watch you don't replace the tins on the snakes after!). I'm sure there are some around...

They travel a couple of miles from their dens....maybe if a pond is nearby

then they will be attracted to visiting you there. You won't even have to collect them. And you probably shouldn't!

Bj

Jeff Hathaway · 05-13-03, 06:33 AM

BJ has the right idea- create the habitat and they will likely come! Luckily, garters are habitat generalists, so a few basking sites (tins, rock piles) might be all you need. Of course, you could develop artificial hibernacula, build a pond, and do lots of other things:-)

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!

Nanashi04 · 05-13-03, 09:05 AM

The garters here were late coming out, maybe you should just give them a little more time.

garterguy · 05-13-03, 07:26 PM

no it was like this last year-thx for the replies i will try them,but what kind of tins are you talking about?
hehe im a 13 year old herp and i mostly catch lizards and toads but now im going to move up to snakes.