Restoration of an extirpated red-sided garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis population in the interlake region of Manitoba, Canada Original Research Article

Red-sided garter snakes Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis were relocated to an extirpated hibernaculum in fall 1985 to evaluate the use of transplants as a means of restoring snake populations in the Interlake region of Manitoba. In spring 1986, 84 of 720 transplanted snakes were recaptured at the den, substantiating the use of the den over winter. In fall 1986, only one transplanted snake was captured. It is not clear whether transplanted snakes returned in fall 1986 because sampling was disrupted by commercial snake harvesting. This prevented a good appraisal of transplant effecyiveness. However, annual population censuses 3 years after the initial transplant indicated that a population of several hundred snakes was utilizing this den as a hibernaculum. Indeed, population numbers appeared to be increasing.