I caught my egg thief, now what?

[sgtmom52]

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[patvetzal]

If its that big, its a HER. The males only get half that size.....
Are you 100% sure its a garter snake? And are you sure that its THE thief....

 

[Hoosierchickens]

Seems like odd behavior for a garter snake. I've never known them to eat eggs. It does sound like a snake problem though.

 

[Moabite]

I sure hope you didn't kill it. Good snakes tend to keep out bad snakes. I see garter snakes nearly everyday but haven't seen a rattlesnake in nearly 8 years. Any garter snake that big must be good luck, you should move her to the garden and enjoy your blessings.

 

[Teach97]

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big garter is a her!

 

[Thatchickenguy]

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X3489239705554890568347689039478397648397448369696

 

[Artemis Fowl]

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X2

 

[Speceider]

Garters don't eat eggs, they're amphibian specialists.

Clint

 

[86121]

Depending on how many eggs you get, I would let it live personally.
Your not having a problem with mice or rats *this is me assuming* because of that big guy.
I would fix where ever he is getting in and just let him be. If your rooster gets him, he gets him. But if not, then there goes another mouse! XD

 

[FireTigeris]

I googled: garter snake look alike

I found only the ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus) resembles the garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) (same family) nearly exactly, and the lined snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum)

http://www.backyardnature.net/snakidnt.htm

here.

http://www.gartersnake.info/articles/telling_garter.php

here too-

Kinda neat, not seeing egg eating/opportunistic - could it be a really odd corn or rat snake?? Maximum size for garters is listed at 4.3 feet, females 'larger'...

"The snake was striped" – No North American venomous snake is clearly striped. Several harmless Florida snakes are striped (lines running in the direction of head to tail). The most commonly reported striped snakes are the yellow rat snake (brown to orange-tan with four stripes), the ribbon snake and the garter snake (black with pale white, blue, green or yellow stripes and often a checkered pattern as well). The pygmy rattlesnake has an indistinct reddish stripe down the middle of its back, but also has blotches and spots.

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Thamnophis_sirtalis.html

Common garter snakes are ovoviviparous (bearing live young). The young are incubated in the lower abdomen, about half way down from the snake's body. Gestation is usually two to three months. Most females in the northern parts of their range give birth to from 4 to 80 young between late July and October. Most litters range from 10 to 40 young and litter size depends on the size of the female, with larger females giving birth to larger litters. Upon birth, baby garter snakes are independent and must find food on their own.

Common garter snakes become sexually mature at 1.5 years (males) or two years (females). (Bartlett and Bartlett, 2001; Wechsler, 2001)

Female common garter snakes nurture their young in their bodies until they are born. The mother gives birth to live young, she doesn't lay eggs. Newly born snakes tend to stay around their mother for several hours or days but she provides no parental care or protection after they are born.

Common garter snakes typically eat earthworms, amphibians, leeches, slugs, snails, insects, crayfish, small fish and other snakes. They seem immune to the toxic skin secretions of toads and can eat them without harm. Occasionally small mammals, lizards, or baby birds are eaten as well. Common garter snakes find their prey using their excellent sense of smell and their vision. They use several different hunting methods, such as peering, craning, and ambushing to capture their prey. The different techniques describe the way the snakes move while they hunt. They immobilize their prey using their sharp teeth and quick reflexes. The saliva of common garter snakes may be slightly toxic to some of their small prey, making it easier to handle them while they are being eaten. Like other snakes, they swallow their food whole. (Bartlett and Bartlett, 2001)

Snake pictures - http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/snakes (cool rosy boa!)​