-> Michael
The Senior Naturalist with the Hamilton County Park Board once told me
that in earnest. However, the venom is too mild to affect a large
Primate like us. So the answer is they have always been venomous. He
had to worry about it though because he was also allergic to the venom.
So I feel pretty confident he knew what he was talking about.
I have handled many garter snakes and was never concerned about their
venom, but I don't like being bitten. So I have never put it to the
test.
Klaus