Forty of these snakes will be born in 2022 at the Arthur L. and Elaine V. Johnson Conservation Center, said Tara Harris, head of conservation and science at the Phoenix Zoo. I wish the zoo another successful year.

“These narrow-headed garter snakes are Arizonans like you and me, but their future in our state is uncertain and they need our help,” Harris said. Told.

Native to central and eastern Arizona and western New Mexico, the aquatic snake has been declining for the past 20 to 30 years, said Mason Ryan, Garter Snake Project Coordinator at the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Snakes live in cool rocky areas in or near streams. It has been listed as an endangered species under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 2014 and is protected by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission.

In general, snakes are beneficial creatures, playing a role in natural pest control and contributing to biodiversity in food webs, Ryan said. These garter snakes are threatened primarily due to invasive species in the state, and increasing their populations has proven difficult.

Invasive species such as crayfish and bullfrogs that compete with or eat snakes are a major threat, Harris said. says Mr. According to the Federal Register, Arizona ranks among the states with the highest rate of decline in native fish species.

Birds of prey, raccoons, and other snakes are some of the narrow-headed garter snake predators.

“Breeding a species is pretty difficult,” Ryan added, explaining that it could take years to determine whether breeding and release can have a significant impact. Since the program began in , only 84 narrow-headed garter snakes have been kept. Snakes are born alive rather than hatching from eggs.

Ryan said snakes are being released into Canyon Creek in Gila County, which stretches from Tonto National Forest to the Fort Apache Reservation. Harris said he had 24 juvenile narrow-headed garter snakes released last summer, and one adult was his.

Snakes are usually hard to spot at around 3 feet or less in length, so Harris said the snakes are tagged with numbers that can be read with a black light. Ryan said larger garter snakes can have tracking devices implanted under the skin.

Harris said finding ways to breed snakes is a learning process. The zoo uses enclosures that mimic the snake’s natural habitat, with areas for bullmanation (the sluggish state of the garter snake during the winter), and flowing water, fish, and trees .

Juveniles live in a “snake lab,” Harris said. They are stored in tanks with lids that allow heat and light from the heating lamps to pass through. The interior is almost all water with fish, and the surface features a platform that features a small shelter.

In 2021, the federal government helped designate 447 miles of protected streams for 23,785 acres of protected garter snakes in Arizona and New Mexico, according to the Center for Biodiversity.

Harris said that by not using invasive species for bait and not bringing in gamefish, the public can help protect these snakes. Teaching and learning about garter snakes and volunteering can also help, says Ryan.

“It’s great to have creatures like this in nature,” Ryan said, adding that he would be sad if future generations never get to see the garter snake again.

After decades of dedication to the conservation of flora and fauna, the Phoenix Zoo is now boosting populations of black-footed ferrets, yellow-bellied leopard frogs, iron pygmy owls, desert pupfish and more, in addition to narrow-headed garter snakes. working for .