(http://www.gartersnake.co.uk/)
This is one of the most beautiful and sought-after of all garter snakes, and indeed of snakes in general. It is highly endangered in the wild, and close to extinction. This is due to a combination of over-collecting for the pet trade, and habitat destruction.
In the 1980s the San Francisco garter snake was being successfully bred in a number of US zoos. Captive-bred specimens were released to European zoos specialising in endangered species, and during the next decade large numbers were bred in Jersey Zoo in the Channel Islands, Rotterdam Zoo in Holland, and Lodz Zoo in Poland. Under the terms that these zoos released the animals from US Fish and Wildlife, they were prevented from releasing them to the public, so most of the zoos stopped breeding them as they could not dispose of the offspring. There were even suggestions that surplus San Francisco garter snakes were being used to feed ophidophagic snakes, such as King Cobras!
Ultimately specimens did reach the European breeders, and the San Francisco garter snake is commercially available in Europe. Under international law it is not protected, as CITES (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species) recognises species, but not subspecies, so the San Francisco garter is no different to any other Thamnophis sirtalis.
...
SAN FRANCISCO — Ten San Francisco Garter Snakes make their debut at the San Francisco Zoo today (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/06/02/BAGT0D1PQ455.DTL). Ironically, the captive-bred snakes were imported from the Netherlands; while listed as endangered in the U.S., the subspecies is frequently bred in Europe. The last San Francisco Garter Snake in a North American zoo died, at the San Francisco Zoo, in 2003; these snakes will be split between the San Francisco and San Diego zoos, and will be bred to replenish zoo stock.
No comments:
Post a Comment