Male or female?

[rwgsnakes]

I was told this was a female by a vendor at the hamburg show, he was able to quickly identify it by a mere glimps so i have feeling he knows what he is talking about but i would like some other ideas

Thanks

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g168/ribbonsnakeyy/checkers.jpg

[snakeman]

it does look like a female.

[Sid]

There is a pronounced taper to the tail at the vent and short tail lenght. I agree with female.

Sid

[rwgsnakes]

k thanks guys

how about this one?

i was told he was a male

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g168/ribbonsnakeyy/2-1.jpg

[ssssnakeluvr]

looks like he was right on both.....

[adamanteus]

I concur...right on both counts.

[Lulu Bennett]

looks correct to me

[GarterGuy]

I'd have to agree with everyone else, first one a female, second on a male. Are these the Plains garters (T.radix) that one of the dealers was selling at the end of one of the rows. I was looking at them myself. Nice looking snakes if this is what they are.

Roy

[rwgsnakes]

Thanks everyone!

Garterguy-

They are actually albino checkereds, i have gotten them at past shows and just brought them to have em sexed. The guy that did it for me had two 4 year old female albinos for sale.


Thanks again... do they seem large enough to breed next spring? i plan on burmutating them this winter of hopes of babies next summer but im not sure on their ages.

I read on a web site that their have been garters that have breed at 11 months... i thought it was 2 years. What is true?

Here this is the site i read it from

Alan's Garter Snakes - Maintenance of Garter Snakes (http://www.gartersnake.co.uk/maintenance.htm#Breeding)

[adamanteus]

I wouldn't want to second guess Alan Francis..... he's the man!

[GarterGuy]

I also wouldn't like to second guess Alan, but I also think that the later you wait to breed, the more success you'll have. I waited over 3yrs. to breed my L.m.thayeri and was blessed with a really nice clutch of eggs. Breeding is hard on any snake, I think the more mature they are the easier it is on them. Only an opinion though.:D

Roy

[adamanteus]

Yeah...everything Roy just said!:D
I think Alan's early breeding (11 months) of his Checkereds was an accident and an observation, rather than a recommendation.