and ANOTHER one

[silke]

I'm out walking in the field with my dogs and theyhave gone about 20 feet ahead of me.
For some reason I look down and there is this teeny, tiny garter snake in the middle of the path with his mouth wide open.
I picked him up to see if he was hurt from my dogs tearing past.
He seemed fine but when he tongue flicked it was really slow.

Here's the thing....it's getting down to 0 degrees Celsius tonight.
This wee guy is 6 inches tops.
He is currently in a sweater box in my apartment with a substrate of cypress mulch and spanish moss and 2 humid hides.
What I would like to do is hang onto him until spring and let him loose in the field. Would this be safe?
I don't know if he's going to make it if I let him go tomorrow... he is so small and the temps are so drastic right now.
Snow has been forcasted withing the next few days.

I was just looking for some advice on what I should do.

Thanks

[NewLineReptile]

If he seemed fine then let him go if he lasted this long he just might make it on his own. He will probably not eat for you and Die

I would let him go were you found him

Brandon

[ohh_kristina]

I agree, let him go.

[Simon Sansom]

Hmm...that can be a tough call, can't it, Silke?
I think that I would see if I could find a nice, protected place to release it, perhaps near or in a debris pile or some type of cover where he may be able to find some protection from freezing. It's also quite possible that there may be something wrong with him. As much as we'd often like to, we can't save 'em all. Some are just meant not to make it.

Let us know what you decide to do.

Take care.

Simon

[Tim and Julie B]

Some one brought an alligator lizard into a pet store at the end of Oct. apperently they caught it in the summer. Knowing it was illegal to have it in the store. The owner gave it to me to release. Instead of taking the chance and letting it go so late in the year, I kept it until next spring. It grew so much over winter that it probably had a good start in the summer. It's a tough call but either way good or bad could happen. TB

[snakehunter]

i would release him, thamnophis sirtalis are one of the most cold tolerant snakes out there, known to start to hibernate as late as november, and emerge as early february, heel make it just give him a good brush pile to hid under.

[snakehunter]

oh forgot the slow tongue, was he extending to the point to it was obove his head and almost touched his eyes, if he was thats just a natural defense thing to make themselves scary or somthing, probably freaked b/c of the dogs

[silke]

thanks so much for the concern
I will take a look at the weather forecast for the next week and pick the warmest day....maybe
I am so torn
he is so small and he was so cold he hardly moved until he warmed up in my hands
I will do much research over the next couple of days to find out how I could feed him and the other requirements just in case.

[Vanan]

Problems is,e he may not feed for you and being so small he could deteriorate fast. Tough call. I would suggest trying to feed him once, no go, then release him at the right time of day, in the right place.

[SerpentLust]

I would let him go, I mean he's survived this long. And it's not like every WC snake in Canada is caught by a loving herper and kept through every winter. They survive :)

Jenn

[silke]

well I've read that the daytime temps aren't going to be that bad next week.....I will let him go on Monday


.............Fri........Sat......Sun......Mon .......Tues.......Wed
HIGH.....7°C.......3°C......5°C.....10°C......7°C ........16°C
LOW......1°C .....-3°C.....-4°C......1°C......1°C...........4°C