Hello All.

[Beautifylgirl]

Hello! I just came across this site while looking for directions on making an enclosure lid. Your enclosure page helped me out for ideas.
Here is my newest addition to my home. I now have 1 dog, 1 cat, 1 WC garter (pacific Northwest? any ideas on specifics would be appreciated) and *had* a lot of guppies and other fish but the snake really enjoyed them. Here are some decent picts of my garter.
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k269/Beautifylgirl/Snake/pictures198.jpg
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k269/Beautifylgirl/Snake/pictures141.jpg
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k269/Beautifylgirl/Snake/pictures186.jpg
I've had 'it' for about 5 months and 'it's the largest I've ever had about 2 feet, maybe a little more. It is quite happy with feeder fish with calcium suplement on it but I haven't had any success with worms, and I haven't tried pinkies. Does anyone know a place in the PNW to find quality snake food?
It is now living in my old fishtank, 46 gallon bowfront, and appreciates it much more than the 20 gallon 'it'was in.

Brittany

[Cazador]

Hi Brittany,

Well, I really stink at this "name that snake game," but I still love playing it :). My vote is that you have a T.s. fitchi, but definitely wait for the heavy hitters to weigh in before putting any confidence in this assessment. Welcome to the forum,
Rick

[Beautifylgirl]

Hi Brittany,

Well, I really stink at this "name that snake game," but I still love playing it :). My vote is that you have a T.s. fitchi, but definitely wait for the heavy hitters to weigh in before putting any confidence in this assessment. Welcome to the forum,
Rick


Thanks for the guess. Its not a big deal to find out exactly what 'it' is(I still haven't decided if 'its' a girl/boy yet ) but it would be helpful in the long run.
Brittany

[Cazador]

Now THAT, I can help you with. Post a couple of good, close-up pictures of it's tail/vent area. One from the side, and another from above (dorsal view). It would be most helpful if he/she were suspended in the pictures.
Rick

[Thamnophis]

Hello Brittany,

welcome on this forum.

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard.

[ssssnakeluvr]

Looks like a valley garter to me...t. sirtalis fitchi. From what I see, I'd say it's a female, males tend to be thinner and smaller....but Let's see some pics of the tail area to be sure....

[felicianolis]

Brittany, you are welcome here!!! ;-)

[GarterGuy]

Welcome to the site from another newbie!:D Yeh, I'd have to agree with everyone else and say T.s.fitchi or Valley Gartersnake. Looks like a really nice animal too.

[Gijs & Sabine]

Welcome to this site, Brittany.
I also think it's a fitchi, but it's definitly a very nice looking snake:)

Sabine

[Beautifylgirl]

Welcome to this site, Brittany.
I also think it's a fitchi, but it's definitly a very nice looking snake:)

Sabine


Does anyone know the specific areas these snakes are found in? I'm looking on the internet but I can't find what I'm looking for and my mind is a little blank for the words I'm looking for. I would really love to find out more about them.
Brittany.

----------------------------------------------------------
Nevermind that question above because I found some information. I do live in Western Washington. I would love it if someone could explain the differences to me, possibly in pictures of these two definitions.( sources from eNature: FieldGuides: Species Detail (http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recnum=AR0121) )
This is what I think 'it' is. ( I just wonder if these are ever found in Western Washington.)
Valley (T. s. fitchi), brown or dark gray with well-defined back stripe, top of head black; c. and n. California (except area noted for California population of Red-spotted), nw. Nevada, sw. and e. Oregon, Idaho, nc. Utah, w. Montana, and Washington east of the Cascades through British Columbia to se. Alaska.

or here is the Puget Sound Garter

Puget Sound (T. s. pickeringii), resembles Red-spotted, except back stripe largely confined to 1 scale row instead of 2 and top of head dark; Vancouver Island, adjacent coastal sw. British Columbia and w. Washington.


Thank you everyone!
Brittany

[Cazador]

As far as describing its range, I always refer to The Garter Snakes Evolution and Ecology by Douglas Rossman et al. Perhaps there's an easier source out there somewhere? Secondly, I'd just like to say, "WooHoo." T.s. fitchi... Score!!!

[Beautifylgirl]

When I get home later I'll try to get my husband to get some pictures of 'it's tail area to have you all tell me whether we're male or female. I say female only because of the size (2 or 2.5 feet, gonna measure that too) . My sister in law named it MR. Snake so either way the name is staying but I would also like to know the sex. As you can see from my other pictures already posted it's a rather large snake ( atleast to me) because the picure here... http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k269/Beautifylgirl/Snake/pictures141.jpg
is in a 46 gallon aquarium.

Thanks everyone, you are all very helpful!
Brittany

[Sid]

Welcome Brittany, I agreed with the other forum members. Both your new pet and the set-up look great.

Sid

[Beautifylgirl]

Now THAT, I can help you with. Post a couple of good, close-up pictures of it's tail/vent area. One from the side, and another from above (dorsal view). It would be most helpful if he/she were suspended in the pictures.
Rick

Alright, now I have one view of the picture ( this kid is wiggly) that came out pretty well. The others I'll work on getting later, I think it's done for the night for handling.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k269/Beautifylgirl/Snake/pictures165.jpg

Thanks
Brittany

[Cazador]

My initial impression is that it's a female. The tail tapers down pretty quickly after the vent, but unfortunately the shadow on the outside of the curve obscures a clear call. The hemipenes would be pressed toward the outside edge, causing a bulge in the shadowy area, if it were a male. I'll wait to see the other photos before making a confident call. A picture with the point-of-view right in the center of the divided scales (without curvature) would be ideal. Anyone else?

[GarterGuy]

Eh, I wouldn't even touch this one yet. If there is any taper it's really slight and like Cazador stated, it's rather tough to tell from the pic. I know my female T.s.concinnus tapers a lot more severly then that. Definitely more pics needed. If I had to lean on way or the other though....I'd go with female.....also due to the fact of "her" size.

[ssssnakeluvr]

I'm gonna say a female on this one....

[Beautifylgirl]

Okay, I'll try to get some more when I get home. I had quite a few more attempts to get pictures. Unfortunatly my husband doesn't like to handle snakes so he had to take pictures, which in the end came up really fuzzy but I should be able to get more tonight. Thanks.
Brittany

[Beautifylgirl]

FINALLY! Does anyone know how hard it is to get a snake to sit still for a picture?? well I guess everyone does, but for anyone who doesn't.... Its HARD! they keep squiggling all over the place. Anyway here is the long awaited picture. I hope this one is a good enough view. I got it right before it moved again..

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k269/Beautifylgirl/Snake/pictures188.jpg

and now we await the final verdict.

Thanks,
Brittany

[Cazador]

On your next photo, if you could just get it to... Nah, just kidding. She's a lovely fitchi ;).

[GarterGuy]

Yeh, I'd have to agree with the "she"......doesn't look like there's really any sort of hemipenal bulging at all...fairly sharp taper after the cloaca.

[Beautifylgirl]

Thanks everyone! I'm glad to know my first suspicion was correct. But she will still be know as Mr Snake acording to my little sis-in- law. :) I just won't tell the snake.
:)
Brittany

[Thamnophis]

Hey Brittany, I think that someone who calls herself Beautifylgirl on a forum has to put her picture on it.
Just to let you know if we think you are right. :o :)

[Cazador]

I'll second that for Brittany and everyone else. Fons, "reptileparadise," and I have already broken the ice (and probably a few computer monitors, as well) by posting our pictures in "the garter snake lounge." It's nice to put faces with names, so let's see who's out there.
Rick

Here's a link to our photos:
http://www.thamnophis.com/garter-snake-lounge/160-what-your-costumes.html

And here's a link telling everyone how to post pictures.
http://www.thamnophis.com/site-feedback-suggestions-questions/181-posting-pictures.html

[Beautifylgirl]

Here you go. This is from last summer but there aren't any picts of me on this computer for some reason( I have 6 computers but this is the one I'm on) so enjoy!

http://myspace-072.vo.llnwd.net/00252/27/01/252251072_l.jpg

Brittany

[Cazador]

Brittany,
That's a very handsome picture of your husband, but your hair is in front of your face. Pass my complements to your husband, though :p. Thanks for being a good sport :D.
Rick

[Beautifylgirl]

Thanks. :) I will definatly let him know your comment, he will appreciate it I'm sure.
Brittany

[Thamnophis]

Looking good and congratulations with your marriage.

[Beautifylgirl]

Looking good and congratulations with your marriage.
Thank you. We've been together for almost 10 years(married 1), since we were 13, we were finally ready to get married and everything went wonderfully. Thanks everyone for their comments. :)
Brittany

[Thamnophis]

Me and my wife also maried last year, aftyer having lived together for 22 years. We already had three sons and they thought it was cool that we got married.
It´s never to late... :)