maritime garters

[Josh]

Well today i am sending out for my maritimes from vwsrcool. Im leaning on getting two but my wallet is leaning on broke lol but ill kep you posted.
Have any of you kept maritimes.

[GarterGuy]

I've been trying to get Maritimes for almost two years now, I'm very excited about getting a pair of them from Ben as well.

Roy

[Josh]

same here they are very cool.

[adamanteus]

Don't forget to post your pics guys, when your new snakes arrive.:D

[GarterGirl]

I have never had any!
I don't even know what they look like!

Anyway, have fun there.
And don't forget what adamantius said.
POST PICS!

[adamanteus]

Mikhaila, you can find out what they look like by reading through some of Terry's (Stonyloams) threads. They are beautiful snakes and definitely on my ever-expanding wish list!

[Josh]

You can also see them in the classifieds being sold by vwsrcool.

[Serpentine99]

I'd really like one myself, I just need the okay from my parents. In order for me to buy my own snake, terrarium, and food I must first pass their Respect and Responsibility test. Unfortunately both R's are pretty low when it's summertime for a teenager.

But It's "getting better all the time". :cool:

[adamanteus]

I must first pass their Respect and Responsibility test. Unfortunately both R's are pretty low when it's summertime for a teenager. :cool:

Ha! That made me laugh! "Summertime for a teenager"....I remember that (many moons ago) Enjoy, Lawrence....life is short!:)

[Lulu Bennett]

lol i agree with james, enjoy it whilst you can :D

[GarterGirl]

Mikhaila, you can find out what they look like by reading through some of Terry's (Stonyloams) threads. They are beautiful snakes and definitely on my ever-expanding wish list!

Thanks for the advice!
I will look through some of the right now!

[GarterGirl]

I couldn't find any of Terry's threads
except for one which was about an
awesome bug.

[adamanteus]

Try this one, Mikhaila;

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/578-baiting-snakes.html

[GarterGuy]

Don't forget to post your pics guys, when your new snakes arrive.:D

Will do.....I'm getting mine next Sat. if all goes well.:D

Roy

[Josh]

Same here hoping for them sunday monday.

[adamanteus]

Maritimes are great looking snakes, I wish we could get them in the UK. I'm a tiny bit jealous of you guys!:rolleyes:

[GarterGirl]

Try this one, Mikhaila;

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/578-baiting-snakes.html
Oh
So Terry's sunroom
snakes are maritime garters!
Thanks James!

[GarterGirl]

Do any of you know if we can
get them in New York?

[drache]

Terry is in NY, Spatz
I've considered asking him whether we could come and pitch a tent next to his sunroom

[stonyloam]

Mikhaila: If I can find a nice little one, and IF you mom says it is OK, I'll send you one (maybe an antlion too).
P.S. This offer is open to 9 year old girls only.:D

[Josh]

i sent out for 1.1 :)

[GarterGirl]

I'd love to have one!
Drache says to ask her
after the seventh
because we're moving.
Thanks Terry!

[Snaky]

Very nice looking snake's! I'm curious about the pic's (and a little jealous), keep us updated.

[vwsrcool]

wow im cant believe how much everyone likes these maritimes, im mailing josh and jasons out on next tuesday, so they get there on wednsday

[stonyloam]

I am getting more and more confused on the maritime vs eastern ID. Is there anything other than color that distinguishes them. There is not much on the web. Does anyone have some good photos of adult maritime garters?

[GarterGuy]

Well unfortunately when it comes right down to it, it is a matter of colour and pattern. T.s.sirtalis and T.s.pallidulus are only subspecies...it's kind of like the Cal.Redsided (T.s.infernalis) and the SanFran.garter (T.s.tetrataenia)...if you really look at them, they're the same snake, except that infernalis has red bars on its sides and tetrataenia has red stripes. With sirtalis and pallidulus, it seems to be that pallidulus usually has the dorsal stripe reduced or absent and the spots on it tend to be vary numerous (even to the point of forming "crossbars" across the back) and smaller then sirtalis. Most sirtalis that have a lot of spotting seem to have fairly large spots running down the sides or even sort of checkered pattern on them, but don't have the fine spotting that you see in pallidulus. Something also to remember here is that since they're just subspecies and their territories cross over, there's probably some hybridization between to the two which will only make things more complicated for ID. I've also found here and there, some people who don't actually consider pallidulus to be a distinct subspecies and would just include it with sirtalis....so who knows, pallidulus may become invalid at some time. I know snake ID is hard, especailly at the subspecies level and particularily with as widely distributed and highly variable a species as T.sirtalis. Hope this helps out some.

Roy

[stonyloam]

Thanks Roy: That was the best explanation that I have seen. Of course I am still confused. So according to the description:


This could be a maritime garter
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/new_snake2.jpg

This is probably an eastern
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/solar_heater_guy.jpg

who Knows (after it shed it had an overall green color)
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/little_green.jpg

Or they could all be just local color variations of easterns, which may be what maritimes are after all. They are all from my yard in westrn NY.:confused:

[Lee]

I'd say #2 is an eastern X maratime.. :)

[GarterGuy]

Thanks Roy: That was the best explanation that I have seen. Of course I am still confused. So according to the description:


This could be a maritime garter
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/new_snake2.jpg

This is probably an eastern
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/solar_heater_guy.jpg

who Knows (after it shed it had an overall green color)
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/little_green.jpg

Or they could all be just local color variations of easterns, which may be what maritimes are after all. They are all from my yard in westrn NY.:confused:

If pallidulus is considered a valid subspecies, I'd say that all three are pallidulus. #1 and #3 definitely show it and even #2. Even though it does have a back stripe, it's broken in several areas by the side spots making those "cross bars" that I was talking about. In all the field pics I have of sirtalis, even though the dorsal stripe may be intruded on by the side spotting, it's never broken....or interrupted by the spots. This is what gives sirtalis it's "distinct" side stripe (even though there are individuals with out it...... confusing isn't it!!??!!??:eek: ). Only 100% definite thing I can say is that they are Thamnophis sirtalis ssp. .....but you already knew that.:D

Roy

[stonyloam]

Hay Garter Girl: how do you like this one. It is sitting in my hand as I type this. I'll keep it for a few days.

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/garter_girl2.jpg

[Josh]

Nice one.Stonyloam

[GarterGirl]

Hay Garter Girl: how do you like this one. It is sitting in my hand as I type this. I'll keep it for a few days.

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/garter_girl2.jpg

That's beautiful!
I'd love it!
Drache says we have to wait a couple
of weeks but I can have it.
Can you hold it for me?
I'll tell you when to send it.

[GarterGirl]

Thank you
so much,
Terry!

[Josh]

Congrats mikhaila.
Beautiful snake.

[stonyloam]

will do Mikhaila. I'll try to get a good pix as soon as it sheds. this is a wc snake so it would have to isolated for a while, but it appears to be perfect. I don't feel to bad about taking it, because we have some big milk snakes around, along with a couple of prowling cats, so It probably has a much better chance with you.:D

[drache]

Wow, Terry
that's really sweet of you
it's such a beautiful snake
and shedding soon
Mikhaila is a lucky girl and so am I (I got an unexpected snake today also)
are you far from Schenectady?

[stonyloam]

Rhea: Sweet uhhh... don't tell my buddies that:eek:. According to Yahoo maps, it is 195 miles to Schenectady from here.
I had been looking for that little snake for a few of weeks now. The first time I saw it, it was under the solar pool heater, and I was able to almost catch it then, but it squirmed away. About a week later I found a perfect little shed in the exact same place. I checked that spot almost every day and never saw him again, I was just hoping that it had not been eaten. It was one of two that I had in mind for Mikhaila. Came back from the lake this PM and checked, there it was all curled up sleeping. It is a pretty calm little guy, and just sat in my hand while I ran around and took its pix, sent out the note and got my 15 gal tank ready to house him. I think he’ll be OK there, he is not long enough to get out under the screen top, I hope (I have been fooled before). Put in some slabs of bark for a hide and a little water bowl and it settled in quite nicely. Last time I looked he had just finished a water bowl bath. I’ll try to see if he’ll eat in a day or two.

[GarterGuy]

Hay Garter Girl: how do you like this one. It is sitting in my hand as I type this. I'll keep it for a few days.

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/garter_girl2.jpg

It's hard to tell since it's in shed, but I'd have to say that this little guy may be a T.s.sirtalis. It doesn't look like the dorsal stripe is broken anywhere along it's body and the spots look a bit bigger. But then again, a palidullus my just be a variety of sirtalis.

Roy

[Josh]

That is what i thought. But im not the best ider so i kept my mouth shut.

[stonyloam]

Ahhhh... I think I am starting to understand. I'll take a closer look when I get home. I was mainly focusing on the coloration and lack of distinct stripe. Just when you think you have it figured out......:confused:

[drache]

According to Yahoo maps, it is 195 miles to Schenectady from here.


I forget how big NY is
that's like a six hour drive from NYC
In that time one can make it from Denmark to Switzerland (depends on who's driving)

[Lulu Bennett]

lol i can make it from north to south england near enough lol

[drache]

lol i can make it from north to south england near enough lol
you're good, Lulu
my brother once made it from Wexford Ireland to Mannheim Germany in under 24 hrs including two car ferries
oops - it's maritimes, right?

[Elliot]

I'm getting one of vwsrcool's maritimes too. :D

[Josh]

neat im getting three :D
Congrats

[Elliot]

neat im getting three :D
Congrats

Cool, I only have room for one more snake unfortunatley. I really like the lighter colored garayish ones.

[Josh]

sounds cool.
are you getting male or female.

[Elliot]

sounds cool.
are you getting male or female.

Since I'm only getting one, I'd rather have the color and pattern I like than choose from male or female. But if I could, I'd have a garayish or orangish one that's a female.

[Josh]

cool I asked for greenish and grayish ones lol

[Elliot]

lol are you planning on breeding them? I was hoping my ribbons mated but it looks like I won't be getting any babies from them.

[Josh]

Yea i plan on it. im also gettin easterns of of him. im goin to breed them too. HOw do your ribbons behave?

[Elliot]

Yea i plan on it. im also gettin easterns of of him. im goin to breed them too. HOw do your ribbons behave?

Well, the male I've had for a year and a half is fairly skittish, he's a real pain to move around, but he eats well, he'll eat fuzzies right out of my hand. The wild caught female that I've had a little over a month is more active and less skittish and puts up with me moving her around better, and I've got her accepting fuzzies now using my "special trick." lol

[Josh]

lol i let my second estern go today because she bit me in the face lol and because she seemed really stressed out.reason number three i am getting new arrivals.

[Elliot]

lol those were very nice easterns that you found there, we don't have any garters here, I don't think that I've actually even seen a garter before!

[Josh]

wow that stinks i kept the other one though,

[Elliot]

Well I guess it's because the Ribbons fill their niche here, how's the other eastern doing?

[Josh]

shes doing she was eating like a pig and getting big but he threw it up so im a bit worried.

[Elliot]

That sucks, hope it does ok.

[Josh]

yea she seems to be more active at night. Although she does climb in the day.

[stonyloam]

Well this little guy (garter girl’s snake) shed last night so I spent some time trying to get a good photo. It looks like the dorsal stripe is completely broken in eight or nine places, so that along with the coloration would tend to say maritime, I guess. I have about given up trying to figure it out. :confused:
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/gg_4.jpg

[GarterGuy]

From what I've been able to figure out on these guys, I'd say I agree. Snake ID, especially down to the subspecies level....is soo difficult sometimes. My buddy just sent me a scientific paper that has all the different king and milksnakes (Lampropeltis sp) now divided into different groups then before due to similarities and differences in mitochondrial DNA analysis. Sometimes it's so hard to keep things straight!:eek:

Roy

[drache]

Well this little guy (garter girl’s snake) shed last night so I spent some time trying to get a good photo. It looks like the dorsal stripe is completely broken in eight or nine places, so that along with the coloration would tend to say maritime, I guess. I have about given up trying to figure it out. :confused:
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/gg_4.jpg

truthfully
neither Mikhaila or I care very much what he is
we think he is beautiful
he looks a bit like a chocolaty version of our Sammy - elegant

[stonyloam]

That is great. It is a very nice little snake, very docile, and almost friendly. Starting to eat like a little pig, two worms yesterday and four today. Had a perfect shed and looks really nice. :D

[stonyloam]

Was sitting by the pool this PM working on my bike and this little guy came cruising by. Grabbed him and took him up to the garden for a portrait shoot. Maybe I'll get a vote this month. :D

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/stony_maritime.jpg

[Josh]

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/Picture_055.jpg
heres one of the babies i aqquired from the deal in this thread.

[Snaky]

Very beautiful baby, a nice pattern!