[juanbenae]

I have recently inherited a gopher snake that was caught in the mojave desert about 5 years ago from my girlfriend's son. they have moved, no longer having the room for the tank, and mostly him being 17 now is concentrating on the needs of another slippery snake.. the thing is about 36-40" long and has been handled quite extensively since they've had him and is quite tame. It has become much more active than in winters past according to sweety because it is being kept in my living room where the woodstove keeps it a constant 75* or so. she therefore suggested I feed him as he was being so active. he was not interested in the mouse i dropped in last night and that whole fiasco is another story for another time. put it this way, i had to go to 3 different stores before they would sell me a "feeder" mouse. i had wised up and asked for a "friend" mouse at the 3rd place and they obliged.

what i am wondering is that with snakes having been in captivity for so long can i release him in an area where i am pretty sure he will have a chance to live being away from people, roadways and such? will this aquarium kept snake be able to readapt to living in the wild or will it be more like a mammal or bird in that once it's been kept it has to be forever? i would like to let him go as to not have to care for him, keep having to feed him mice, which i am not crazy about, & basically have grown out of keeping reptiles. I would wait until spring when it warms up to actually let him loose to make a better chance of survival.

what do you guys think his chances of him re-acclimating into the wild might be?

t