Glueboard Garter

smarch

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2012
Messages
4,067
Location (City and/or State)
Massachusetts
Hi guys, it’s been a while since I’ve been a regular here. Anyway I’ll get right down to business, long story short I work in pest control, glueboards are used and I caught my first “oops” on one inside one of my high security buildings. A little garter snake. Brought him home and unstuck him with some oil, the thanks I got was getting musked, totally cool :eyeroll: so we both got a rinse off in the sink, he’s currently sitting in a small plastic tank I had on hand, because hello new England it is winter. Now, I’m all for a free pet, and he already got the name Linguine, but he’s a wild animal and this isn’t the life he deserves.

1 how cold tolerant are garter snakes, it’s winter here it’s supposed to snow tonight. But the weekend will come above freezing for about a week.

2 I know garters are communal, due to circumstances and the site I got him from being a sensitive site we are currently an hour away from his home, will a new community accept a new one or are they territorial to their own communities and I’ve caused a problem removing him so far.

3 he was dead looking when I found the board, even when I poked him he didn’t move. Warming up and some water and he is going, should I give him a snack of a pinkie or a worm or 3 before letting him go?

1E5358AB-160C-4A77-B85A-C8608E34A971.jpeg
C509F627-09F4-4E8A-9C9E-1E03EE75F133.jpeg

2DF6DBEB-58C6-420B-899C-7C943E5DF081.jpeg
 

ZenHerper

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Messages
2,078
Location (City and/or State)
New Jersey
If you're putting it out, don't feed it.

They like basements and slab construction because concrete walls and floors smell rocky and underground-damp. If there is a wild space in the area with large rocks or other access to underground spaces, that would be ideal. Then it can thermoregulate up or down.
 

smarch

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2012
Messages
4,067
Location (City and/or State)
Massachusetts
If you're putting it out, don't feed it.

They like basements and slab construction because concrete walls and floors smell rocky and underground-damp. If there is a wild space in the area with large rocks or other access to underground spaces, that would be ideal. Then it can thermoregulate up or down.

The boyfriend is totally accepting of “it’s your pet now isn’t it?” But I mean I know my Russian tort Franklin was a wild caught pet store tortoise and he had a rough go of it in the beginning. It’s not like I handle my reptiles much, Franklin HATES being touched, the corn snake is ok with it but is content to not be touched, I just know I couldn’t provide a great enclosure to someone who knows the wild.
Though I’m open for the debate of keep him, because I want to, I just always grew up being taught that the wild stays wild, I’d catch toads all the time, keep them in the catcher a couple hours and let go.

he was found in an electrical room, kinda damp and concretey by a door.

we have woods next to my apartment we’ve said hello to resident garden snakes when walking the trail so I would release there.
 

smarch

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2012
Messages
4,067
Location (City and/or State)
Massachusetts
I remember that smell very well.
That was such a common snake that fell victim to my lawn tractor by accident back in south Carolina
Now imagine that smell inside a very small bathroom mixed with coconut oil. I was sitting there thinking “huh, the coconut oil smells REALLY gross, isn’t it usually more coconuty and less blah?” Then when I went to show the freed snake to the boyfriend he pointed out that it’s vent was open and asked if it was hurt, when I saw the stuff down there I realized what happened. Gave the snake and my hand a good rinse before going in the little tank to at least try to get some excess oil off.
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,938
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
Now imagine that smell inside a very small bathroom mixed with coconut oil. I was sitting there thinking “huh, the coconut oil smells REALLY gross, isn’t it usually more coconuty and less blah?” Then when I went to show the freed snake to the boyfriend he pointed out that it’s vent was open and asked if it was hurt, when I saw the stuff down there I realized what happened. Gave the snake and my hand a good rinse before going in the little tank to at least try to get some excess oil off.
I hope he appreciates it
 

smarch

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2012
Messages
4,067
Location (City and/or State)
Massachusetts
I hope he appreciates it
He immediately got to the little water dish once in the tank and drank for a good while. I actually had an old water bottle cap in my truck right after finding it and poured a little water and held him up still stuck to it and despite the whole situation he drank then. I’m sure he does appreciate it. More so when he’ll get out of the shoebox of a hotel room he’s hanging tight in now. I’d give him some spare aspen but I wouldn’t be able to check in on him.
 

New Posts

Top