Interest group for garter snake lovers
The “European Garter Snake Association” is an association of keepers and breeders of the garter snake (Thamnophis spec.).
On our pages we want to offer information about our association and the genus Thamnophis and we hope to inspire beginners as well as pros and professionals with these fascinating animals.
If you have any questions about snakes or our club, please do not hesitate to contact us.
In the non-commercial European Garter Snake Association (EGSA), enthusiasts of the genus Thamnophis have come together to exchange information and breeding animals. What we have in common is our interest in and enjoyment of garter snakes. Most of the current 130 members are from Germany. However, there are also members from Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Great Britain. EGSA was founded in 1996 and was a registered association with its official headquarters in the Netherlands until mid-2006. At the Annual General Meeting in April 2006, it was then decided to re-establish the association in accordance with German association law (with its registered office in Hamburg). The EGSA was entered in the German register of associations on 31.05.2006 under the registration number VR 19013.
The EGSA aims to promote the exchange of information among like-minded people. New findings in the keeping and breeding of garter snakes are to be collected and publicized. Breeding projects should help to reduce the number of imports from the USA. In addition, new friends are to be made for the Thamnophis snake genus.
– The association offers its members a forum for all matters relating to garter snakes.
– It publishes the quarterly members’ magazine THE GARTER SNAKE, which covers the most diverse aspects of keeping and breeding the genus Thamnophis.
– Once a year, a members’ meeting lasting several days is held as part of the annual general meeting, at which specialist lectures are given, joint excursions and visits to zoos and terrarium facilities are organized, problems and specialist questions are discussed and animals can be bought or sold.
– The EGSA also carries out public relations work, e.g. by members presenting information stands at trade fairs.
– Through the contacts of the members, rare subspecies are propagated and genetic inbreeding is avoided.
The EGSA is a recognized non-profit association. Membership fees and donations can therefore be claimed against tax at the tax office. Donation receipts can be issued by the treasurer on request.
Our next annual conference will take place from 1.5.2026 to 3.5.2026 in Marienthal.
It is currently the only magazine in the world that deals exclusively with garter snakes.
The articles include husbandry and breeding reports on various garter snake species, as well as field reports from our herpetologically active members. Furthermore, scientific findings on garter snakes are regularly summarized and presented in an understandable way for the readers.
If you would like to write an article for our newspaper, please look under “Authors”. We would be very pleased and would like to thank you with a free reference copy of “The Garter Snake”.
The garter snake (Thamnophis)
