Hello from Reptastic!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Hi there! I'm a Super Moderator over at reptastic.com, but as it turns out I am a thamnophis specialist! I just found the site, and am VERY glad to have! I keep thamnophis of many varieties and discovered a new exciting eastern garter this summer that is most LIKELY an extreme hypomelanistic individual!

Here is a picture:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v447/xxAngelinblackxx/camera/P1000378.jpg

[adamanteus]

Hi Shannon, and welcome to the forum.:)
Nice looking snake.

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard, Shannon. :)

That's indeed a very nice looking eastern and this is coming from someone who has a general dislike of the whitish morphs. :D It must be that it doesn't have the red eyes that the amelanistic ones have, combined with a very nice pattern.

[adamanteus]

Is it just me, or does that 'Eastern' actually look like a pallidulus?

[GarterGuy]

Howdy and welcome to the forum. It's always nice to get others who are REALLY into garters on here, so we have someone's brain to pic.:D Very nice looking specimen. Where was it found? That might help with the possibility of it being a pallidulus as James mentioned.

[Stefan-A]

Could be a pallidulus. Where was it found?

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Shannon :)

[Sid]

Shannon, welcome to the forum. Great looking speciman. I'd love to find one like that here in South Carolina.

[gregmonsta]

Welcome :) that snake is gorgeous.

[drache]

welcome to the forum, Shannon
that is a fantastic snake
while I'm no ID expert by any stretch
and also not that familiar with easterns
this does look a lot like an hypomelanistic version of my maritime
very nice
do you have more photos of wonderful snakes like that?
please don't hold back . . .

[Lori P]

Hi Shannon, and welcome! Coooool, another snakey mind to pick for info!! :-) I could not see your pic, just a red x... sigh... maybe it'll pop up for me later.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

you know now that you guys say that. She very well could be a maritime. Maritimes and Easterns are very much alike! I did not find ANY other maritimes on that trip. They were all very dark easterns with a nice stripe. She was found in the pocono mountain area at arrowhead lake, Pennsylvania. There is one odd thing about this specimen. if you notice her labial scales. what would normally be the second labial scale from her nose is actually divided in half, giving her a count of 8 and not 7 labial scales on each side of her mouth. I was under the impression that both maritimes and easterns have 7. at least, all of mine do. Correct me if I am wrong, I am only 19 after all and I of course make mistakes. But this divided scale is not as well separated as the other scales if you know what I mean. I am going to write a full post about her right now in an apporpriate forum and I'll inclide more pics of her and her BABIES!!!!

[anji1971]

Hello and welcome!! That snake is gorgeous, lucky you to find it!!!:)

[tikichick]

Welcome to the forum! :) Beautiful snake!

[adamanteus]

It can sometimes happen that scales sub-divide to give a higher count, or occasional fuse together to form lower counts. It isn't rare to see the larger head scutes (pre-frontals, frontals, parietals etc) fused together to form larger plates.

[GarterGuy]

you know now that you guys say that. She very well could be a maritime. Maritimes and Easterns are very much alike! I did not find ANY other maritimes on that trip. They were all very dark easterns with a nice stripe. She was found in the pocono mountain area at arrowhead lake, Pennsylvania. There is one odd thing about this specimen. if you notice her labial scales. what would normally be the second labial scale from her nose is actually divided in half, giving her a count of 8 and not 7 labial scales on each side of her mouth. I was under the impression that both maritimes and easterns have 7. at least, all of mine do. Correct me if I am wrong, I am only 19 after all and I of course make mistakes. But this divided scale is not as well separated as the other scales if you know what I mean. I am going to write a full post about her right now in an apporpriate forum and I'll inclide more pics of her and her BABIES!!!!

Well I don't think you've got a pallidulus now, the Pocono's are well outside the range of this subspecies. To my knowledge they've not been recorded here in PA. As far as the labial count.....yeh, like James said, sometimes that can happen and really play with you when you're trying to ID a snake! Looks like a really nice morph of sirtalis. Since it sounds like you're going to breed it, hope the characteristic carries over into the offspring. It'll be interesting to see what you get.

[Snaky]

Welcome to the forum and enjoy it here :)

[adamanteus]

Hi there! I'm a Super Moderator over at reptastic.com,

So, what differentiates between a moderator and a super moderator? I quite fancy that title. Perhaps I'll alter mine, maybe when I reach 5,000 posts.:D

[Lori P]

Super moderators invite us all over for dinner once a month and give us all one free snake of our choice.:D

[drache]

Super moderators invite us all over for dinner once a month and give us all one free snake of our choice.:D
sounds good
does that include airfare?

[Lori P]

Yes, the super moderators pay all airfare. AND put us up for the night, too!! AND serve us breakfast!!:D

[adamanteus]

Guess I'll stay a plain old 'moderator' then!

[anji1971]

Awww, come on James.
Where's your adventurous side? Don't you want us all over for a visit? It would save all that planning for a World Meeting.........just a bit pricey on your end!:D

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

lol i jsut came back and read this post.... sorry guys i forgot to invite you all over for dinner and pay your airfare... and a super moderator is just what i am called i guess.. lol!

[Lori P]

Well, NOW you have to send us all the snake of our choice. Dibbs on the hognose!!!!

:-) :-)

[ssssnakeluvr]

Dibbs On The Hypomelanistic!!!!!!!! darn smiley face didn't show up!!! I really want some babies from that snake!!!!!!