Stefan's garters

[Stefan-A]

Everybody else was doing it, so I figured it was time for me to show a few pics of my snakes. ;)

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/vagrans-1.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/vagrans-2.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/vagrans-3.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/vagrans-4.jpg

[Stefan-A]

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/vagrans-5.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/vagrans-6.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/vagrans-7.jpg


http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/vagrans-9.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/vagrans-8.jpg

The last picture is of the bigger one of the two.

[Odie]

You got a good looker there ;)

[Stefan-A]

Sadly, the colours look different in almost every picture. I have pictures where it came out as almost black & white, olive green, grey and brown.

[Lulu Bennett]

stefan you have some fantastic pics there

[Sid]

Very nice babies:D

[Anthon]

They are soo cute ^^ and much tinier than my radix. ;)

[drache]

they're lovely, Stefan
I don't know whether you've noticed, but to some extent their colour changes slightly anyway
but it's true - their subtle colours don't come across well in images

[Stefan-A]

Yeah, I've noticed. :)

[GarterGuy]

Cute little buggars......nice pics.:D

[Snaky]

They are gorgeous!:)

[enigma200316]

nice snakes, I really like the green one.................:)

[Josh]

wow they are really nice

[adamanteus]

Nice pictures, Stefan. Lovely looking babies.:)

[Lori P]

I really like the little one curled up in your hand-- too cute!!

[Stefan-A]

A few more pictures.



http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/nusnakes-top1.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/nusnakes-side2.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/nusnakes-side3.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/nusnakes-shed4.jpg

Both snakes shed within a timeframe of a couple of hours. :) There's a "bit" of a size difference there. Those were both perfect sheds, by the way, the smaller one's just got torn when I removed it from the terrarium.

[Stefan-A]

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/nusnakes-mousefeed0.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/nusnakes-fishfeed0.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/nusnakes-fishfeed1.jpg

[zooplan]

Mh lecker,
thats the right stuff to recognize early in the mornig...
I have to look for breakfast too

[Thamnophis]

Very nice!
What is the real color? I love the grey ones...

[Stefan-A]

This is probably the one that's closest to the truth. Definitely brownish.

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/../../thamphotos/data//500/medium/vagrans-4.jpg

[Thamnophis]

On my monitor it looks mor greyish than brownish, but it still is a pretty snake...

[Stefan-A]

Your monitor settings are wrong. ;) It's greyish brown, but it doesn't matter. :)

[Thamnophis]

I have adapted it a bit and now I see some brownish influences...

[Gijs & Sabine]

Very nice babies, Stefan :) And it looks like they are eating well too.

[mikm]

Stefan, Those are very nice pics !!! Very nice babies as well ... thanks so much for sharing :)

Best,

[drache]

Sammy used to be just sort of dark grayish brown
she did have some subtle olivish tints on the sides, if you looked closely
I fact I was just floored by the beautiful subtle colourations, while everybody else was ooing over my parietalis
over time her brown has become more charcoal black and overall she looks kind of greenish

[anji1971]

Wonderful pictures! Those little ones are adorable!

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/vagrans-a1.jpg

They grow up so fast.

[Sid]

Those are all great photos, Stefan. Looks like yours accept a varied diet as easily as mine did. From day 1 they have eatten anything offered.

[Stefan-A]

I'm really happy with these two girls, they feed well and apart from a little friendly strike that first week, they've been really easy to handle. I just wonder if it would be better to keep them separated or if the benefits of keeping them together would outweigh the risks. The size difference is now minimal, despite one being significantly smaller when I got them a month and a half ago.

[drache]

here's my two cents worth
my T.e.vagrans is in a tank with three other females - two approximately the same size and one slightly smaller
I have never seen her express interest in another snake as food
she has been totally on pre-killed food ever since I switched them from minnows as babies
I am certain that she would have to be pretty damn hungry to even recognize the food potential in her cage mates, because her food always comes at the end of tweezers or chopsticks
and I do feel that they enjoy housing in groups

[pool]

They grow up so fast.The subtle coloration and pattern, as well as physical build, is most appealing:)

[reptileparadise]

Very nice little snakes!
Hows their personality? They look quite curious!

[Stefan-A]

Their personality is great, they still dash when you approach the terrarium and they coil up when you try to grab them, but they're otherwise active and curious. The one in the last picture didn't really react even though I took the picture directly from above.

I really wish I had been recording when I first opened the box they were in when I picked them up. They looked so funny when they simultaneously slowly raised their heads like tiny periscopes over the side and started looking around. :D

[adamanteus]

They are really beautiful snakes, Stefan. I'm looking forward to seeing them grow.

[reptileparadise]

wow...they sound really cool! Should I add them to my wishlist? lol...yeah...I think I'll do that...

[Stefan-A]

They are really cool. :) If they stay that way I just might start focusing on just T. elegans. ;) Terrestris is climbing rapidly towards the top of my wishlist as well.

[Stefan-A]

Anybody else think they've grown? ;)

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/vagrans-shed1-shed2.jpg

From the top:
Small vagrans - second shed, first shed.
Big vagrans - second shed, first shed.

[adamanteus]

Hmmmm.... maybe!:rolleyes:

[Snaky]

Naaaah, you need to get some glasses:rolleyes::p

They look great Stefan!

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/tetra01.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/tetra02.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/tetra03.jpg

I just change the bedding in her cage and took the opportunity to take a couple of pictures. I had to wake her up and that seemed to upset her a bit; She started flattening her head and finally lunged at me. :D

[adamanteus]

Great pictures, Stefan. It will be interesting to see how much she grows over the next few months. Ive been amazed with the growth rate of mine.

[Lulu Bennett]

stefan, beautiful pics there hun.
Are the striped white or is it just the pic? i have only ever seen the mint looking stripes lol very stunning!

[Stefan-A]

Like usual, the real colours don't come out right in the pictures. I had to adjust the contrast and colour balance to even get this result because of the lighting indoors. But those stripes are definitely more like light blue/mint blue than white. Or maybe they're mint green. :D Not white anyway.

[enigma200316]

I like it, very nice snake Stefan...maybe next time it'll get a hold of you.....................................:eek::D:D

[Lori P]

She's just awesome, Stefan. And of course, I don't want her to bite you.

(Justin-- 5 bucks says she nails him next time!!!) :D

[Stefan-A]

She's just awesome, Stefan. And of course, I don't want her to bite you.

(Justin-- 5 bucks says she nails him next time!!!) :D
For a 50% cut, I'll let her bite me next time. :D

[enigma200316]

For a 50% cut, I'll let her bite me next time. :D


thats are Stefan, always looking at all the angles...........;)

[Lori P]

Stefan, you're a cheap date aren't ya??!! LOL

[Stefan-A]

You better believe it. :D

[salzar]

well,shes a beautie!!!
good luck with her, and watch out!!
do not wake sleeping snakes with out food to feed!!! just kidding!
heeee heee , bye
michelle

[Stefan-A]

Just a random question, but why exactly do they flatten their heads? To look bigger, to look like vipers or is it just because of the mechanics of the bite?

Viewed from the front, they look a bit bigger, but viewed from above, the head shape is the same triangular shape as a viper's with the big venom glands.

[adamanteus]

Yes, it's all part of the whole viper-mimic job. Occasionally, when very angry, they will raise the head off the floor and hold it chin-down in typical rattler defense pose.

[Stefan-A]

This one did exactly that earlier today. :)

[adamanteus]

That would make a most excellent photo, if you could catch her at it. Can you go and annoy her a bit more?:D

[salzar]

hi even the little common brown snake I caught early this year showed aggresion in this way. look at the pix of the brown snake striking on my gallery space , this femail was very aggresive twards anythig!
and did her best to make you belive she was dangerous!!
very cool , nature is wonderful!!
bye
michelle

[adamanteus]

Indeed. Even at their tiny size, such a display can be very impressive.... if you look close enough!:rolleyes:

[drache]

yup
I had a baby radix do the whole coil, S-curve, flatten thing
and she struck at my hand with open mouth
it was very impressive in a tiny sort of way

Stefan
congrats
lovely baby you got there

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/tetra04.jpg

And yet another picture. ;) Couldn't get her to even flatten her head for more than a second. :D

The dorsal stripe is green, the lateral stripes and belly are blueish.

[anji1971]

Congratulations, Stefan!! She's a beautiful little thing! Too bad she wouldn't do the head-flattening thing --I've never seen a snake do that! Apparently I'm such a sweet gal that mine just aren't threatened by me!!:D:p:D

[Snaky]

A very nice one Stefan, I didn't knew you had it :)

[Stefan-A]

I've only had it for a couple of days. :) Got it on Sunday.

[adamanteus]

I've only had it for a couple of days. :) Got it on Sunday.

Has she grown much yet?:D

[Stefan-A]

Has she grown much yet?:D
:D Of course. ;)

[tikichick]

Wow, beautiful!!

Here's your pic lighter with more contrast. Hope you don't mind, I set this as my wallpaper today ;)

I don't know if this gets it closer to the real color for you or not. All monitors are calibrated differently, unfortunately.

[Stefan-A]

No, I don't mind. :)

[tikichick]

Is the color any closer?

[Stefan-A]

No, the original was actually a bit closer.

[tikichick]

Lol, bummer. Oh well, I tried.

[Stefan-A]

I think the third picture I posted is the one that's closest, although it also depends on your monitor settings, how close it comes. :)


Heeey, one of my vagrans juvies is shedding. :) Right now.

[adamanteus]

Heeey, one of my vagrans juvies is shedding. :) Right now.

Get busy with that Panasonic Lumix dmc-fz8!!!:D

[Stefan-A]

It's too dark, James. :p

[adamanteus]

Oh, right!:o

[Stefan-A]

..and it's yet another perfect shed. :)

[adamanteus]

..and it's yet another perfect shed. :)

....Of course it is!;)

[Stefan-A]

She's grown quite a bit. This shed is at least 7 cm longer than the previous.

[adamanteus]

Big enough to breed, do you think?:rolleyes:

[Stefan-A]

Maybe if it was a T. exsul. ;) Well, maybe not.

[adamanteus]

Is she the one featured in this months' photo contest, or is that your male?

[Stefan-A]

I don't have a male vagrans (or anything else for that matter), but that is her bigger sister I'm holding in that photo.

[adamanteus]

Oh right, I thought you had a pair. That is one sinister looking picture by the way!!!:D

[Stefan-A]

The second calmest garter I've ever come across. :D Even the smaller one is more sinister.

Oh, you probably meant me. :D

[Lollipop]

wow, beautiful your tetrataenia ^^

[Stefan-A]

(Justin-- 5 bucks says she nails him next time!!!) :D
Lori, you lost. :p Didn't musk, didn't bite, didn't flatten her head.

And she just made a gigantic poo. :D Pushed half a pinky through in about 24 hours.

[adamanteus]

Is she big enough to breed yet, Stefan?;)

[Stefan-A]

Stop thinking about sex already. :D

[Lulu Bennett]

Stop thinking about sex already. :D

is that not the one thing all blokes think about 99.9% of the time? :p

[Stefan-A]

is that not the one thing all blokes think about 99.9% of the time? :p
And women should feel flattered. :D

[adamanteus]

I must be getting old..... I only think about sex 98.75643% of the time. The rest of the time I think about food!

[Stefan-A]

What about garters, James? Do they belong to the "Sex" or "Food" category? ;)

[adamanteus]

Definitely 'sex', along with wine...that's sex too!

[adamanteus]

Most things remind me of sex.... except Mrs Adamanteus.... she prepares my food!;)

[Lulu Bennett]

James, Have you ever been told to get out more??
just wondering lol
how was your 1st day back?

[Lulu Bennett]

Most things remind me of sex.... except Mrs Adamanteus.... she prepares my food!;)

thats horrible!! i will grass you up one of these days lol

[adamanteus]

how was your 1st day back?

Infuriating! They had some utter fool stand in for me.... chaos!:mad:

[adamanteus]

Lulu, can you cook?

[Lulu Bennett]

lol james, if you want something done, do it yourself! lol

[Lulu Bennett]

Lulu, can you cook?

lol kinda

i was asked to cook tea tonight so i went and got a big veriety bucket from KFC :D

[adamanteus]

So you can't cook! Oh good, that puts you in my other category!http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/images/smilies/smileys/mf_dribble.gif

[Lulu Bennett]

pmsl :eek:trust you james! :rolleyes:

[Stefan-A]

Most things remind me of sex.... except Mrs Adamanteus.... she prepares my food!;)
Are you sure she doesn't remind you of sex? I'm pretty sure you have a kid. ;)

[Stefan-A]

So you can't cook! Oh good, that puts you in my other category!http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/images/smilies/smileys/mf_dribble.gif
Okay, now I'm glad that I can cook. ;)

[adamanteus]

Are you sure she doesn't remind you of sex? I'm pretty sure you have a kid. ;)

She tricked me with good food and fine wine!:eek:

[drache]

Are you sure she doesn't remind you of sex? I'm pretty sure you have a kid. ;)
yes I'm sure too
probably James requires verbal reminders, which he then tunes out because of his focus on the other 1.24357%

[NikkiSixx]

she is pretty!!!! hope to see her growin!:D:)

[Stefan-A]

According to my sources, T. elegans should be a species that spends its time on the ground and under debris, even when they're basking. Why then, are both of mine arboreal? ;)

Also, their poop is red. Who wants to guess why? ;)

[Thamnophis]

Very pretty!

[Lori P]

Also, their poop is red. Who wants to guess why? ;)

Why, why? Inquiring minds want to know!!

[Stefan-A]

Why, why? Inquiring minds want to know!!
Rainbow trout. :p

[Lori P]

Oh good grief!! LOL :D

[enigma200316]

According to my sources, T. elegans should be a species that spends its time on the ground and under debris, even when they're basking. Why then, are both of mine arboreal? ;)

Also, their poop is red. Who wants to guess why? ;)



I think all snakes or atleast most all can be arboreal atleast a little if they want........:)

[Stefan-A]

Aaanyway, it was feeding day today. ;)

YouTube quality:
YouTube - Vagrans vagrans tetra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCfuGCMAv_Q)

Better quality:
Vagrans vagrans tetra (http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/vvt311207.wmv) ~20.5MB

[adamanteus]

Very nice, Stefan!:D

[Snaky]

Seen it without sound... nice movie! They can be rather stupid:D

Love your vagrans babies!

[tikichick]

Cool!! I was cheering that little guy on, lol. Nice setups!

[anji1971]

Your little tetra seems more interested in seeing what you're doing than eating her food!!
That was a fun video, Stefan! thanks for sharing.:)

[Stefan-A]

Yeah, the tetra kept trying to climb up the tongs and was really just too excited about being fed to care about the food item itself. :D Really hyper.

[Stefan-A]

I got bored so I decided to measure my snakes.

The vagrans that I used to refer to as "the small one": 40.5 cm
The one that I used to call "the big one": 40.8 cm (funny, it looks a lot bigger than the other one)
The tetra: 36.5 cm


And the smaller of the vagrans juvies is turning grey. I don't know about the bigger one, it's in the cloudy phase.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/vagrans-newcolour.jpg

[adamanteus]

Are those SVL or overall length, Stefan?

[Stefan-A]

Overall lengths.

Would be interesting to measure the SVL, too. In case one turned out to have a longer tail. ;)

[adamanteus]

I must get around to measuring and weighing mine. How did you get them to hold still, to take the measure?

[Stefan-A]

I used SnakeMeasurer (Apps (http://www.serpwidgets.com/Apps/measure.html)). Simply put, throw the snake in a box with something for scale, take a picture from above, import the picture into the program, set the length unit by measuring the object in the picture, then just start to measure the snake.

Here's an example photo:

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/snakemeasurer1.jpg

The brochure is 21.0 x 29.7 cm, i.e. A4.

[adamanteus]

That's really clever! You could even get an accurate SVL with this. Good find, Stefan.

[Sid]

James, I use the same software when I measure mine. Here's the link to download free
Apps (http://www.serpwidgets.com/Apps/measure.html)

[Stefan-A]

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/vagrans-newcolour2.jpg

Funny little snakes. The darker one gets lighter with every shed and the lighter one gets darker.

[tikichick]

They're looking great!

[Stefan-A]

I got bored again. Threw a few feeding clips together.

YouTube quality:
YouTube - Strikes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-eMxQBOYkM)

Slightly better:
Strikes (http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/sundown2.wmv) (~7.9MB)

[Stefan-A]

How about now? ;) Are they big enough to breed yet? ;)

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/threesheds1.jpg


Sheds from the smaller of the two. Top to bottom: Latest, second and first shed.

[Snaky]

They are truly in growth, what a difference between sheds :eek:

[Stefan-A]

They've grown about 5cm between each shed. I would have included the third and fourth sheds, but I couldn't tell which shed belonged to which snake anymore. :D

[Stefan-A]

Here's the complete set:

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/fivesheds1.jpg


http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/grabby1.jpg

Not the owner of those sheds. It's impossible to get the colors right with the kind of lighting I use in that viv. Too yellow.

[Loren]

Very nice Stephan, Vagrans is one that I am still missing from my collection of garters from the western U.S.

[Stefan-A]

Thanks. :)

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/squeezy1.jpg

The stuff that gives them red poo.. :D

[Snaky]

Looking great, Stefan! :)

[anji1971]

Wow, are they ever growing fast!! Those first sheds look quite comical when you see them next to the bigger ones. Like little toothpicks!!!:)

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/eotbs1.jpg

Oh, they still have a lot of growing to do. ;)

[Stefan-A]

Time to post a few photos again. Once again, the colours are off, despite some corrections, but I hope to have the cause of the problem corrected by the end of the week.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/tetra/tst1.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/tetra/tst2.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/tetra/tst3.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/extra/tetra/tst4.jpg

[drache]

very nice shots
and the snake is stunning

[tikichick]

What Rhea said! :)

[anji1971]

Coming along nicely, Stefan!! Looks like she's growing well.:)
It does seem to be a common problem to get their colours to show in pics-- for some reason the blues just don't show up in most peoples photos. Too bad, especially for those of us who can't see one in real life!

[Stefan-A]

In my case, the problem comes from the fact that I use a lightbulb for both lighting and heat, which means that the light is yellow, instead of natural white. The yellow is exaggerated in the photos, so I have to edit the images to make it look about the same as in real life. As a result, some of the colours get lost.

I used the flash in the first picture, but you can't really use it in close-ups.

[Anthon]

And couple of months ago you didn't like that species at all? ;)

cute little snakie gotta say :)

[Stefan-A]

I still don't like the colours. :D Not as much as most people on this forum, anyway.

Frankly, I just bought it because I had the opportunity. :D As far as I know, five people had garter snakes brought from Hamm in September and I know what happened to three of them (or four of the snakes). I guess the rest will turn up sooner or later.

[Snaky]

Have to admit that it's also not number one in my list. It's not that I don't like them, I just like a lot of other, less intense colored but more with fine patterns in them more. I already have my concinnus and a bit the terrestris for the brightly, intensly colored snakes. Although everybody I know think it's the prettiest garter... including my girlfriend, so I might still get them one day:D

She's a nice one, Stefan :)

[reptileparadise]

Very nice snake Stefan!
I have to agree, they aren't my number one either...
(hmmm...nice next topic? everyones favorite garters...top 3 or something...)

[Stefan-A]

More photos..

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetra-feb01.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetra-feb02.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetra-feb03.jpg

Eeeevil...

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagr-feb01.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagr-feb02.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagr-feb03.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagr-feb04.jpg

[adamanteus]

They're looking really good, Stefan. Nice pics too.

[adamanteus]

Love that first photo, Stefan. Growing very nicely.

[Josh]

Stefan they are really nice!!!

[Stefan-A]

Thanks. :)

Do they look fat to you? They're constantly begging for food and I hope I'm not over- or under-feeding them.

[Sid]

Great photos, Stefan. None look over weight to me, all very healthy.

[enigma200316]

they all look great, good pics thanks for sharing.............;)

[enigma200316]

very nice Stefan, wish I could have one...........:(

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

i want her

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

give her to me plz? k? thx? bai.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

actually, I beleive the prettiest garter award for me goes to the eastern blackneck garter, then the puget sound garter.

[adamanteus]

Blue phase or red phase Puget Sound?

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

blue. what does a red phase puget look like?

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

and where may i purchase one?????

[adamanteus]

blue. what does a red phase puget look like?

Looks kind of like a fitchi, but better marked, more yellow and 'dainty' like a Puget. I must get around to posting some pics!:rolleyes:

[adamanteus]

and where may i purchase one?????

I don't know who in the US is breeding them. I imported mine from a well respected European breeder.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

you could say my male is dainty but my female puget is about as dainty as as my checkered female! lol!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

they look perfect!

[adamanteus]

Do they look fat to you?

Well, maybe they look just a little 'chubby', but with babies I don't think this is a problem... they'll soon turn that weight into growth.

[anji1971]

They're beautiful, Stefan. Don't worry so much!!;)

[anji1971]

Stefan, the tetra is looking really good! How big is she now??

[Lori P]

Stefan, they really are just gorgeous!!

James, I really really want to see a red phase Puget... please post pics!

[adamanteus]

James, I really really want to see a red phase Puget... please post pics!

I'll try to get photos this weekend. Since the female started eating so well they're both looking pretty good.:)

[Lori P]

Oh, they are just wonderful, Stefan!! Great great pics. :-) I think they look perfect!!

[Stefan-A]

They're beautiful, Stefan. Don't worry so much!!;)
Somebody has to, dammit. :D

[Stefan-A]

i want her
As the philosopher Jagger once said, you can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, well you might find, you get what you need. ;)

[Snaky]

She's looking good :)

[Snaky]

They're looking great! :)

[drache]

she's a lovely garter, Stefan
and the colours in the photo are really good

[drache]

they're beautiful
perhaps a tad chubby, but that's still baby fat

[Stefan-A]

I still feed them as much as I did three months ago, even if they're about 15 cm longer now. There was a time when those white markings between the scales were visible practically all the time, now they only show for about a day after they've eaten, and that's how it should be.

They really are bottomless pits, they'll eat as much as you're prepared to give them. I sort of tested it once, the smaller one of the two ate about 50% of its weight in fish and would probably have eaten a lot more.

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagr-feb05.jpg

September 17th, 2007

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagr-feb06.jpg

February 29th, 2008.

Hard to believe it's the same snake. Except if you're used to the idea, of course. ;)

[GarterGuy]

I think I read somewhere that the "red phase" T.s.pickeringi are actually an integrade between pickeringi and concinnus. Anyone else here of this??

Oh and to the subject, the tetrataenia is looking really good Stephan.

[adamanteus]

I think I read somewhere that the "red phase" T.s.pickeringi are actually an integrade between pickeringi and concinnus. Anyone else here of this??


I hadn't heard that, Roy. The grand-parents of mine were wild caught on Vancouver Island, which is outside the concinnus range, I believe. The pattern is identical to that of the blue pickeringi, only in red and yellow, rather than blue. If there is any intergradation, I would suspect it more likely to involve fitchi. I'd be interested to hear more though, if you could remember where you read that.:)

[Stefan-A]

So, almost two months and two sheds of a garter later, I got bored again and I decided to measure my snakes.

Grabby (aka "the bigger one"): 50 cm
Squeezy (aka "the smaller one"): 51 cm
the tetra: 47 cm

[Lori P]

Oh my god, look at those ghoulishly huge hands... why, you could kill a bear with those!! :p:D:D

[Stefan-A]

A few new pics..

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tet-mar1.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tet-mar2.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tet-mar3.jpg

[Stefan-A]

..and a few new pictures of one of these, too.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vag-mar1.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vag-mar2.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vag-mar3.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vag-mar4.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vag-mar5.jpg

[adamanteus]

You must be very proud of these two, Stefan. They're gorgeous.

[Stefan-A]

I am, they're both terrific little characters. Especially the one with fused supralabials has absolutely no fear and usually climbs onto your hand without even the slightest hesitation. But it makes taking pictures a bit tricky sometimes. ;)

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vag-mar6.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vag-mar7.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vag-mar8.jpg

[Lori P]

They are sooooo gorgeous, Stefan, and you take such great pics of them. :-)

[Lori P]

I used to have a bumpersticker that read, "I kiss my donkey on the lips". Everytime I see these great face shots I think I need one now that says, "I kiss my snake on the lips". :-)

[Stefan-A]

Thanks, Lori. :) Close-ups are the only thing my camera does well, so that's what I prefer to take.

[adamanteus]

I don't think the camera deserves all the credit here... some of our members have the latest 'state of the art' equipment.... but Stefans close-ups still stop you in your tracks. Stefan, you just have an instinct for a good shot. Love your pictures.

[Stefan-A]

I can't take any credit for it, I just shoot what's going on. Most of the time I'm just trying to get the camera to focus on the right spot.

Most of my pictures are god-awful by any standard, and there are a lot of them for every okay one.

[adamanteus]

Yeah, whatever.:rolleyes: Love your pics. If you care to read back through 'The Nature Photography Thread' you'll see there is no point in arguing!:)

[Sid]

Yeah, whatever.:rolleyes: Love your pics. If you care to read back through 'The Nature Photography Thread' you'll see there is no point in arguing!:)
Ditto. Love your photos, Stefen

[Stefan-A]

I've posted, what about a dozen pictures today? I took 149. Out of those, at least half are out of focus (including the ones I posted later to illustrate a point).

[Sid]

Great speciman, Stefan.

[adamanteus]

Stefan, just take the kudos... you're out-voted!

[Stefan-A]

Stefan, just take the kudos... you're out-voted!
I'll take them when I think I deserve them. :)

[adamanteus]

Okay... a simple exercise... flip through the members avatars... that should give some indication.

[Stefan-A]

Doesn't count, I just have higher standards. :p

[drache]

I totally agree with Stefan
he should be free to fall short of his own standards
I love the pics
with all my fancy equipment I can't get them, because when I get too close with the macro lens, it blocks the flash, so all I get is black, and that's how it's gonna be until I use a separate flash

[anji1971]

True enough -- we are always our own harshest critics!!
I've mentioned before that Stefan takes awesome pictures, so as long as he's willing to allow us to praise his photography skills, then he's allowed to think they're not good enough!

[Stefan-A]

I totally agree with Stefan
he should be free to fall short of his own standards
I love the pics
with all my fancy equipment I can't get them, because when I get too close with the macro lens, it blocks the flash, so all I get is black, and that's how it's gonna be until I use a separate flash
I try to avoid using the flash. :rolleyes: I've taken a few pictures with it and they all look unnatural.

[Snaky]

They look great, Stefan:)

[drache]

I try to avoid using the flash. :rolleyes: I've taken a few pictures with it and they all look unnatural.
how do you get enough light in finnland in the middle of winter?

[Stefan-A]

I don't, that's why most of them end up blurry.

[ssssnakeluvr]

I hadn't heard that, Roy. The grand-parents of mine were wild caught on Vancouver Island, which is outside the concinnus range, I believe. The pattern is identical to that of the blue pickeringi, only in red and yellow, rather than blue. If there is any intergradation, I would suspect it more likely to involve fitchi. I'd be interested to hear more though, if you could remember where you read that.:)


never heard of it being an intergrade....until these blue pickeringi showed up, probably all pics I had seen of pickeeringi had red on them....oh, and I want both!!!!! :cool:

[drache]

it must be my eyesight then - I don't notice that they're blurry - just narrow depth of field

[GarterGuy]

Ok, fianlly remembered to check and see where I had heard of the T.s.concinnus X T.s.pickeringi integrade. Here's a link to it. Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii - Puget Sound Gartersnake (http://www.californiaherps.com/noncal/northwest/nwsnakes/pages/t.s.pickeringii.html)
Check the last snakes listed on the pics....they're described as an integrade between concinnus and pickeringi.

[Stefan-A]

More!

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia-25032008-1.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia-25032008-2.jpg
This is usually all you see of this shy little snake.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia-25032008-3.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia-25032008-4.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia-25032008-5.jpg

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia-25032008-6.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia-25032008-7.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia-25032008-8.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia-25032008-9.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia-25032008-10.jpg

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagrans-25032008-1.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagrans-25032008-2.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagrans-25032008-3.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagrans-25032008-4.jpg

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagrans-25032008-5.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagrans-25032008-6.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagrans-25032008-7.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagrans-25032008-8.jpg

[adamanteus]

You need to change your thread title, Stefan.... that's not a baby anymore!

[Stefan-A]

I think we've had this discussion before.. or did I dream it? :D No, you're right, the title should be changed. :)

[Sid]

Those shots and the baby get two thumbs up, Stefan.

[Lori P]

Ooooooh she's so gorgeous!!!

[anji1971]

She's looking good! How big is she now, Stefan?

[Stefan-A]

I think she's just over 50 cm.

[zooplan]

20 inch is an interessting size.
You may see her becomming really hungry when spring goes on.
Think she will redouble her weight before summer starts

[Stefan-A]

I think she'll grow past the vagrans twins within a few months, at least in length. She's already really hungry. :) She has been since I got her. But I would like her to calm down a bit, she's really skittish.

[Snaky]

Very nice pics again, Stefan :)

[reptileparadise]

very nice again! Starting to become big girls now!

[Stefan-A]

More!

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia-26032008-1.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia-26032008-2.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia-26032008-3.jpg

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagrans-26032008-1.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagrans-26032008-2.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/vagrans-26032008-3.jpg

[adamanteus]

My female is now quite calm, Stefan, whereas the males are as skittish as ever!

[Stefan-A]

How much older were your snakes again?

[adamanteus]

Mine were born July 28th last year.

[Stefan-A]

According to the info I got from the previous owner, this one was born May 16th. :p

[adamanteus]

They're all different I guess. My female was only nervous for quite a short time.

[Stefan-A]

This one can be really bipolar. One second it's crawling up the walls trying to get away, the next it's stalking your fingers thinking they're edible. Definitely thinking about food, it's not displaying any defensive behavior.

Although it did flatten its head when I cleaned its terrarium.


edit: did a bit of investigating. apparently I was wrong before, this isn't one of Daniel's snakes, but Jörn Fischbeck's. :)

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia31032008-1.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia31032008-4.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia31032008-5.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia31032008-6.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia31032008-7.jpg

Damn it's hard to take good pictures of this one. Too damn skittish.

[adamanteus]

Damn it's hard to take good pictures of this one.

You're not doing bad!:rolleyes:
I'd like to see just one pic without any corrective work.... just to see how the colours compare to mine.:)

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetrataenia31032008-unedited.jpg


That would be this one. It has only been resized to 34%.

[adamanteus]

Where yours appear white, mine are turquoise.

[Stefan-A]

It's actually light blue in reality and the dorsal stripe is light green. The lighting isn't the best possible for bringing out the correct colours.

The lighting is what you get when you mix a Philips AquaRelle lamp and a regular yellow lightbulb. Purple + yellow doesn't quite = white. :D

[adamanteus]

It's actually light blue in reality and the dorsal stripe is light green.

(Something) like this?


http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//539/medium/tet_pertrait.jpg

[Stefan-A]

Exactly like that.

[Malika13]

What a beauty!

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/whatday.jpg

Who wants to guess what day it was today? :D

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/whatday2.jpg

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/poopie1.jpg

Damn poop machines.. They're never getting fish again. :D



http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/big1-size.jpg
56.5 cm


http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/small1-size.jpg
54.5 cm

[Snaky]

It's pooping day?:p
Very nice pictures again, Stefan.

[Stefan-A]

It was definitely pooping day today. :D Fed them on sunday and they excreted most of it last night and this morning.

I think they're begging for food again.

[anji1971]

Stefan, my son is very much enjoying your posts!! He finds you extremely funny!:D

[Stefan-A]

I'm glad he's enjoying them. :D

[Stefan-A]

Well, had to measure this one as well.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetra1-size.jpg
53.0 cm

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetra08042008-1.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetra08042008-2.jpg

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/tetra08042008-3.jpg

She wasn't very happy about being disturbed. ;)

[anji1971]

She's been giving you attitude since you got her, hasn't she?:p
She's really pretty, and growing up nicely, Stefan!

[Stefan-A]

Yeah, she's a real firecracker (to quote the previous owner). :D Her attitude (and appetite) is her sole redeeming feature, since she's a tetrataenia. ;)

She's not really a biter, though. She lunged at me once in the beginning and gave me a little accidental bite as a feeding response, but she's usually pretty friendly once she calms down. She was a bit pissy because I woke her up this time. :)

I just wish my common garters behaved like my wandering garters, and just curled up flat against the ground, instead of flying around the terrarium when they get scared. :D

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakesies08/snakepile1.jpg

They're so cute when they're scared. :)

[drache]

they're beautiful, Stefan

[adamanteus]

Yes, they are. They're a credit to you Stefan.