Washington garters

[Tori]

My son lives in Washington state now and over the weekend took some photos with his cell phone of some garters that he ran across. I believe they are redspotted garters, but the photos are so little and not the best. So I am asking for everyone's opinions on what they are. He wants to ship me some of them.

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/garter13.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/garter22.jpg

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

looks like a puget crossed with a red spot, its not red enough to be a fitchi and you can see blue on the face which wouldnt happen with a red spot or fitchi

[Zephyr]

... Or maybe they're the red pugets, like James has.

[Tori]

It looks like it is just about ready to shed to me. That or just dusty. Though I know there are pugets in the area a little south of where these were seen.

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

I dont think Kyle is right, the red pugets are pure red, if you can see in the pictures he sent you there is to much faded orange on the head to be a fitchi (fitchis sometimes have blue bellys but not blue sides) which means it must be an oregon red spot, but oregon red spots dont have blue at all especially that blue tint on its face, defintaly red spot x puget

It looks like it is just about ready to shed to me. That or just dusty. Though I know there are pugets in the area a little south of where these were seen.

[Loren]

I say either valley(fitchi) or red spotted(concinnus). The determining factors would be; location in Washington, and; whether or not the heads are red on top. concinnus usually have red heads- fitchi do not.
Cant quite tell for sure from the pics. Fitchi range through most of the state, except for the western end, concinnus range into part of the southwestern end of the state.
According to my field guide, Puget's tops stripes are usually confined to the center scale row- the ones in your pics look 3 scale rows wide.

[Stefan-A]

concinnus, fitchi or an intergrade, that's the best I can do.

[jeanette]

very pretty what ever they are :)

[adamanteus]

The first is concinnus I think. Wouldn't like to guess on the second photo.

[drache]

the first looks just like my concinnus
the second needs to shed . . .

[enigma200316]

I agree the first does look like concinnus, and the second one needs a shed before you could really tell..................;)

[ssssnakeluvr]

I think they are fitchi....my concinnus don't have the side stripes

[Tori]

Well, either way, I think he intends to send me some. I hope he doesn't get carried away with how many he sends, I haven't gotten that house yet! It is possible that they are different kinds of garters, to be honest, to me they look like different ones. I've looked online to see what is supposed to be there, but most of the sites leave out the ones I know are there like puget sound garters. Is there a book that is more reliable? I take it that Washington isn't as interested in their reptiles as in their deer and elk count.

[Tori]

Does anyone know the best way to box up several snakes in the same package? I've only ever shipped no more than 2 at a time.

[adamanteus]

I think they are fitchi....my concinnus don't have the side stripes

Good point, Don. I missed that!

[Stefan-A]

I'd like to point out that it's not a definitive sign that it's a fitchi, there are concinnus that do have those stripes.

ps. somebody should look up the plural forms of the garters' scientific names. ;)

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

i highly doubt that we are seeing a puget x a red spot here reed. My female red spot has blueish green tint to her face, and I have seen many others that do as well. The blueish tint could also just be the result of a snake in shed or the camera itself.

[Sid]

Tori, below is a link to "snake finder" click on any species of Garter and to shows a map of its range. Hope it helps you out.

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

yea still usually they have more red than that, if you do get them make sure to get some pics after it sheds

i highly doubt that we are seeing a puget x a red spot here reed. My female red spot has blueish green tint to her face, and I have seen many others that do as well. The blueish tint could also just be the result of a snake in shed or the camera itself.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

a lot of them don't have very red faces at all! :cool: