Mountain Garters

[cornsnakesalive]

Here are a couple of my locals. I believe they are Mountain Garters. This male’s yellow color is much brighter than most of the other males in the area, although most of the males are much more yellow than the females. It seems to be sex linked.

I have also found a male and several females that have light blue freckles, which I find attractive and rather odd. I am not sure if this is common, or something the locals have developed.

[Stefan-A]

That's a nice looking snake. :)

Which one was the Mountain garter again? Scientific name?

[garterman07]

those are really good looking snakes, i would love to get ahold of one. where did you catch it at?

[GarterGuy]

Are they one of the T.elegans subspecies?? Very nice pics by the way as well.
Roy

[Snaky]

Very nice!

[cornsnakesalive]

That's a nice looking snake. :)

Which one was the Mountain garter again? Scientific name?
They are actually both from the same area. Most of the males are very yellow with little or no blue flecks. I have only found one male that had as much blue as the female in the photo.

I am not sure about which subspecies they really are, but based upon range maps, I believe they are Mountain Garters (Thamnophis elegans elegans). I may be in an intergrade zone with the Wandering Garter (Thamnophis elegans vagrans). The only other Garter listed in my range are the Valley Garters (Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi), but my locals do not have any red on them at all, just flecks of blue. They also look very similar to the Oregon Garters, but they are not shown to be in my local, but then again, Klamath Garters, were only 100 miles away until they grouped them with the Oregons. My elevation is 5000 feet, so the Mountains seem to be the most likely.

You guys are suppose to help me with the identification. LOL I am a Corn Snake guy, I just happen to like Garters too. These guys just happen to be living in a creek on my property.

Here is a link to the Garters in California.
http://www.californiaherps.com/identification/snakesid/gartersnakeskey.html (http://www.californiaherps.com/identification/snakesid/gartersnakeskey.html)

And a link to the Mountains http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/t.e.elegans.html (http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/t.e.elegans.html)
If you look at the range map for the Mountains, I am very near the yellow in the very north/east corner of California, but I am probably just inside of the red area.

[cornsnakesalive]

those are really good looking snakes, i would love to get ahold of one. where did you catch it at?
I have always seen Garters over the years, but this year, I discovered that there is a den on my property, so I have been watching them more closely.

California Law’s restrict California residence quite a bit, so unless one of the gravid females pops out an Amel I can‘t really do anything with them. I wouldn’t be completely surprised if this happens, because they have been living in the same area since they built the highway over 70 years ago. When they put in the bridge and lined it with massive boulders to control the run off, they created the perfect den for them at the same time.

Here is a photo of the den in the boulders on the right side of the photo, and a photo of a couple of them basking.

[abcat1993]

Wow, that Coast Garter (T. Elegans terrestris looks amazing. Do you know if anybody sells it?

[adamanteus]

Really nice photos, Joe.

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Joe :)

[ssssnakeluvr]

They look like t elegans elegans to me....I will be working with t elegans terrestris...as soon as I can get a male!!!!! :eek: I have a large female...just waiting for a male!

[cornsnakesalive]

So far, this seems to be the preferred technique for a Garter to eat a mouse. The only ones that have taken them head first were off of tongs.

This male is very yellow especially when compared to the females. They yellow stripe next to his belly is much brighter and saturated with color than on the females. The females lower stripe is mostly black/gray with only a thin faded yellow strip of color above the black.

[Snaky]

A beauty. I can say from my experience that they do not have a preferred technique. Most of mine just 'attack' in the middle and start eating at the side they are the closest to. Sometimes it's the front, sometimes the back... they are not really picky;)

[Stefan-A]

2 out of 3 times, my snakes will swallow mice butt first. It's like they look for the "wrong" end before they grab the mouse.

[KITKAT]

2 out of 3 times, my snakes will swallow mice butt first. It's like they look for the "wrong" end before they grab the mouse.

Actually, perhaps butt first is intelligent. What happens when a snake grabs a live mouse and does not get a good grip? It gets bitten!:eek:

[Stefan-A]

I'm pretty sure grabbing the mouse by the butt is a guaranteed way to get bitten. :) The mouse is probably going to be able to reach it. I think it has more to do with the legs of the f/t mouse and how (poorly) they bend out of the way.

[drache]

my big king who once upon a time hunted in the wild, hardly ever eats a mouse head first
he's got some scars on his face and he's actually quite wary of mice
my garters will go to whatever end is closest
my other kings and the hognose prefer head first
my female xenochrophis will always start with one of the front legs and somehow work the head into her mouth while hanging onto the leg - thankfully she's got a big head

[Stefan-A]

I think somebody suggested once that it could have something to do with the smell and the snake mistaking one.. orifice for the other one. :D

Reminds me of a Duke Nukem quote. ;)

[KITKAT]

I'm pretty sure grabbing the mouse by the butt is a guaranteed way to get bitten. :) The mouse is probably going to be able to reach it. I think it has more to do with the legs of the f/t mouse and how (poorly) they bend out of the way.

:eek: Uh oh! My dry Brit humor (inherited from my dad) has failed to be detected again!