i was just given a grab bag of garters

[woody44]

A guy just contacted me to take about 6 garters that he rescued from a bad situation. He isn't sure what they all are but I think I have everything identified from the low quality pics he sent me. As soon as all these guys are given a good bill of health, they will need loving homes to go to. They will be free except for shipping where applicable. I will be picking them up this weekend and will take better pics then but here are the ones he sent me for now.

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/woody06r6/IMG_20130725_194605.jpg

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/woody06r6/IMG_20130725_195802.jpg

[jwolfe152]

wow they are all so beautiful

[kerensa]

love the one with the orange stripe. really they are all fairly pretty, wonder what condition they are really in. there seem to be a few "scuffs" from the pics, but its always hard to really tell.

K.

[chris-uk]

The photos aren't great. But I think you're looking at:
2 x T. marcianus
1 x T. cyrtopsis occelatus (looks like an EBN to me, but not very bright markings, so not a young snake)
1 x T. radix
1 x T. sirtalis sirtalis (flame)
1 x some species of ribbon.

But I stand to be corrected on about half of the guesses above.

Most of them look like they are a good weight, but the smaller of the checkereds (bottom right of the second photo) looks a bit skinny.

If this they've been kept together like this I'd be concerned if it looks like the big checkered girl (I'm guessing the big checkered will turn out to be female) looks gravid...

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Looks like you got

3 Thamnophis elegans vagrans Wandering Garter Snake

2 Thamnophis sirtalis parientalis Red sided Garter Snake

1 Thamnophis proximus rubronlineata Red Striped Ribbon Snake

If possible house them individually so it's easier to monitor their conditions.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

I say 3 vagrans, 2 fitchi, and 1 ordinoides, all probably wild caught around the same area. Very nice looking snakes!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

The snake with the orange stripe is a red- striped ribbon ribbon - t. Proximus rubrilineatus - without a doubt

the 3 that are brown and Drab with black spots and heads are wanderings - t. Elegans vagrans - without a doubt

the one with a big yellow stripe and red on its sides is either a valley or a redsided... Leaning towards valley... T. S. fitchii - they're basically the same snake from 2 different areas.

The one that is really black with 3 bright yellow stripes doesn't look like another valley at all...looks to be a mountain garter snake - t. Elegans elelegans

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

The photos aren't great. But I think you're looking at:
2 x T. marcianus
1 x T. cyrtopsis occelatus (looks like an EBN to me, but not very bright markings, so not a young snake)
1 x T. radix
1 x T. sirtalis sirtalis (flame)
1 x some species of ribbon.

But I stand to be corrected on about half of the guesses above.

Most of them look like they are a good weight, but the smaller of the checkereds (bottom right of the second photo) looks a bit skinny.

If this they've been kept together like this I'd be concerned if it looks like the big checkered girl (I'm guessing the big checkered will turn out to be female) looks gravid...

hehe.... None of these are remotely correct but that's okay. You did get the ribbon!

There are definitely no checkereds, no radix, and no Easterns in this group :)

[woody44]

This is why I chose not to post my thoughts before I have them in my possession.. lol..these bad pictures could be hiding things I can't see on my phone. I'll probably have them tomorrow so this mystery will be solved.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

I see what you mean about the really black and yellow one, i didn't pay that much attention to it at first, but it could be an elegans. I thought that most elegans elegans had a cream or yellow colored belly though. Are you sure the red stripe couldn't be a northwestern?
the snake with the orange stripe is a red- striped ribbon ribbon - t. Proximus rubrilineatus - without a doubt

the 3 that are brown and drab with black spots and heads are wanderings - t. Elegans vagrans - without a doubt

the one with a big yellow stripe and red on its sides is either a valley or a redsided... Leaning towards valley... T. S. Fitchii - they're basically the same snake from 2 different areas.

The one that is really black with 3 bright yellow stripes doesn't look like another valley at all...looks to be a mountain garter snake - t. Elegans elelegans

[chris-uk]

hehe.... None of these are remotely correct but that's okay. You did get the ribbon!

There are definitely no checkereds, no radix, and no Easterns in this group :)

Oh well, all the species you suggest are species I've never seen. There's so many species that we rarely see in the UK, don't think we get many T. elegans so they aren't species I'd normally think of.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Wait a minute! In the first pic in the bottom right hand corner that snake favors a sierra garter. I think will have to have better pics and maybe even the area they came from to ID correctly.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I see what you mean about the really black and yellow one, i didn't pay that much attention to it at first, but it could be an elegans. I thought that most elegans elegans had a cream or yellow colored belly though. Are you sure the red stripe couldn't be a northwestern?

I really, really don't think it's an ordinoes based on what I can see.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Oh well, all the species you suggest are species I've never seen. There's so many species that we rarely see in the UK, don't think we get many T. elegans so they aren't species I'd normally think of.

I knew that you aren't from the US and don't see garters like we do! If you showed me a bucket of natrix I would probably have some difficulty.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I see what you mean about the really black and yellow one, i didn't pay that much attention to it at first, but it could be an elegans. I thought that most elegans elegans had a cream or yellow colored belly though. Are you sure the red stripe couldn't be a northwestern?

Look up "mountain garter snake" and take a look at those. They're jet black and bright yellow... Very awesome snakes.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

I almost got some mountain garters off of peck one time! They are very awesome, but do some have black bellies?

[BLUESIRTALIS]

THAT BLACK AND YELLOW SNAKE ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A PUGET EXCEPT FOR THE HEAD! TAKE A LOOK AT THIS PUGET! http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT0CFHVROYzuQmpKi8leyvIAKbjI534E i9jvMy_hyMhzpTQ3fY7
I see what you mean about the really black and yellow one, i didn't pay that much attention to it at first, but it could be an elegans. I thought that most elegans elegans had a cream or yellow colored belly though. Are you sure the red stripe couldn't be a northwestern?

[BLUESIRTALIS]

The head looks more northwestern though and ordies do come in black and yellow.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

If that black and yellow snake was a puget I'd lay an egg.... It's really, really bright yellow. I have only seen one snake of this look that was that intense in yellow and black contrast... Elegans elegans. I mean if it ended up getting scale counted and ID'ed as a sirtalis I would say fitchi or parietalis before pickeringii. The stripes also look too high up to be sirtalis stripes which is what caused me to take a look at some elegans elegans. I really don't think there are any ordinoes in this picture at all.

To me the head on the red stripe looks like the ones I raised up. They had some pretty clunky heads. Until we see better pics especially of the faces of the snakes there is no knowing for sure. The one thing that has me second guessing now that I can see these pics on a bigger screen, is the overall length of the snake. It looks rather short to be a ribbon. So maybe ill have to eat my words on that one.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

The more I try to zoom in on it, the more indecisive I get.


Zooming in on the black and yellow one's head it does appear to be an elegans.

zooming in on the "ribbon/ordinoes" head... I have no clue.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

I have fun trying to id snakes from pics! I spent hours going through the kingsnake.com what kind of snake is this thread. The red stripe does look like a ribbon, but it appears too short and thick to be a ribbon so that's why I said northwestern! Now im wondering about the wanderings though the one looks like a sierra garter. I am leaving tomorrow to go on vacation for a week so have fun with this one. I'm sure you will have better pics and info by then!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

They are wanderings.

LOL

[indigoman]

T.s annectens , possibly if from Tex. area for the red stripe. Going for fitchi and mountain the other two.

[Sherrie]

I'm kind of doubting any of these are native to Texas. Maybe the one if its a redstripe, but it does look a little thick and short to be a ribbon.

[kerensa]

don't care what type it is, the one with the orange stripe down the center of the back has lovely coloration. I'll still think so no matter what type it is. <shrug> some others are gonna be just as pretty also. ;)

[rickymar81]

I would really like to take the red-sided and the ribbon off your hands:D. Both would make a great collection to the thamn

[woody44]

I just picked them up. Somehow the count dropped to 4 from 6. They were apparently wild caught in Oregon by someone who owned a pet store and planned to sell them. He ended up in Tx and had these left over but had no intentions of caring for them. He gave them to a local ball python breeder who did the right thing and found someone who deals with thamnophis. They are in pretty rough shape but they are in good hands now. I will be rehabbing the remaining 4 and it won't be a short rehabilitation. I'm glad I got them when I did so these guys' story can have a happy ending. They were removed from the wild by someone with greedy intentions and there is no telling how many snakes died because of his greed and lack of knowledge. So sad.

[rickymar81]

It's good that they ended up with you:). Can't wait to see some updated pics

[jwolfe152]

that sucks the count dropped its so hard to say what actually happened to them sold/died/escaped i know the guy had experience with pythons but if they are ion that bad of shape its just hard to say i'm really glad they are with someone who seems to really want to help them with rehabbing instead of just saying i don't want to deal with this and letting them go in the wild to more than likely just die. but great job getting them and starting care i hope they all make a full recovery while in your care

[woody44]

The python breeder only had them for a short time. I don't want to say anything negative about him at all. They were in bad shape when he got them. The guy who originally caught them is scum on the other hand in my opinion. They were only dollar signs to him. If they were to escape or be released here, it would be a death sentence so I am happy they weren't set free. It was a long drive to pick them up so we just got home but I will try to get pics up in a little while after I get them into their new enclosures.

[jwolfe152]

i understand not wanting to say anything bad im sure if any of them died it was no fault of his especially being in bad shape. cant wait to see the pics

[rickymar81]

I agree i wouldn't say anything bad about the gentleman with the ball pythons he did a great thing by contacting some one with knowledge of the species, but the other guy is a DIRT BAG for treating the snakes so badly

[kerensa]

some people make me appreciate everything else so much more.

[woody44]

I still haven't taken any pics but all 4 took fish off the tongs. Normally I would wait to feed until they have had a chance to settle in but I made an exception for these guys due to their circumstances. As long as nobody regurges, it should be all downhill from here.

[guidofatherof5]

I still haven't taken any pics but all 4 took fish off the tongs. Normally I would wait to feed until they have had a chance to settle in but I made an exception for these guys due to their circumstances. As long as nobody regurges, it should be all downhill from here.

Glad to hear they are eating and equally glad they have someone to give them proper care. Have you given them a good soak yet?

[jwolfe152]

thats awesome that they ate so readily. hopefully they are not dehydrated or not bad it should be smooth sailing now good job

[woody44]

They got a good soak as soon as I got them home. They needed it as they looked dehydrated and they smelled like death. They all seemed to enjoy it and were much more energetic afterwards. Sorry but still no pics. I've been trying to feed some stubborn scrubs tonight so my hands have been full.

[jwolfe152]

i would rather you take care of them than take pictures :D

[woody44]

They look so much better today after rehydrating and eating yesterday.

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/woody06r6/IMG_0200.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/woody06r6/IMG_0195.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/woody06r6/IMG_0193.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/woody06r6/IMG_0191.jpg

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

1 looks to be a wandering.

2 looks so different in this picture... It's not green at all like t appeared to be. Definitely a northwestern.

3 looks to be a red sided garter

4 looks to be an elegans elegans (mountain garter)

[woody44]

I wasn't sure about the last one. I've never worked with elegans elegans but it by far has the best attitude of the bunch and it's a nice looking snake as well.

[rickymar81]

They look so much better today after rehydrating and eating yesterday.

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/woody06r6/IMG_0200.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/woody06r6/IMG_0195.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/woody06r6/IMG_0193.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/woody06r6/IMG_0191.jpg I really like pic 2&3 especially pic3

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Agreed! I do think the third one is a fitchi though and #4 could still be an ordie!
1 looks to be a wandering.

2 looks so different in this picture... It's not green at all like t appeared to be. Definitely a northwestern.

3 looks to be a red sided garter

4 looks to be an elegans elegans (mountain garter)