Phoenix Zoo, partners release 25 threatened snakes into wild

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Zoo, along with several conservation partners released 25 threatened garter snakes into the Tonto National Forest on Sept. 13.

The garter snakes’ release by the Phoenix Zoo was done in collaboration with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Geological Survey’s Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Arizona, US Forest Service – Tonto National Forest and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

The Phoenix Zoo and Arizona Center for Nature Conservation welcomed three litters of the snakes at its Arthur L. and Elaine V. Johnson Conservation Center in August. 

“We’re especially excited that this year’s release and our 2022 release of 25 narrow-headed garter snakes constitute the largest-ever releases to the wild for this threatened species,” Dr. Tara Harris, Phoenix Zoo’s Director of Conservation and Science said in a press release.

The garter snakes are capable of capturing their preferred prey, live fish, within a day or two after their birth. 

“Many of our recaptures of captive-born and wild narrow-headed garter snakes were made using passive PIT tag arrays,” Dr. Javan Bauder of the University of Arizona’s and US Geological Survey’s Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit said. “This is one of a very few number of applications of passive PIT tag arrays for monitoring snakes and this technology appears to show promise as a tool for monitoring imperiled garter snakes.”  

Listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the snakes are found around cool, higher-elevation streams in parts of Arizona and New Mexico. The snakes’ population numbers have declined substantially across their range. Habitat loss and degradation, non-native introduced species and climate change are all threats to the garter snakes.