Puget sound garter?

[Repfanatic]

Hi. We found this little one at the dog park we frequent. We live in the Puget Sound area and can't find any other garter species that live in the area, but I can't seem to find any pictures that look like him (or her). We've kept garters before (and have 2 ribbon snakes now), so we're good on the care needs, but the IDing thing is not our forte. Sorry the pictures aren't very good. Camera phone.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/Pseudolove21/Pets/Garter1.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/Pseudolove21/Pets/Garter2.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/Pseudolove21/Pets/Garter3.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/Pseudolove21/Pets/Garter4.jpg
And here's what I've thrown together for the tank for now.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/Pseudolove21/Pets/gartertank.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/Pseudolove21/Pets/gartersnakeinside.jpg

[prattypus]

Yeah, I am absolutely no help on IDing these guys, but that is a beaut!

[Repfanatic]

Yeah, I am absolutely no help on IDing these guys, but that is a beaut!
Well, I'm sure the pictures don't help any. lol
Yeah. I think it's a pretty one also. I love the orange stripe. It's very docile too. Not all fast and spastic like my ribbon snakes.

[prattypus]

I don't know about the range, but could it be a radix? Maybe someone had it as a pet and let it go?

[Repfanatic]

The stripe does remind me of one, but its base color is a solid brown/red. Also, I believe the radix is a midwestern snake. I live in Washington. Although I don't know much about Radix......I guess he could have been dumped by a previous owner. Thanks. =)

[TwistidMutations]

it kind of looks like a northwestern garter( Thamnophis ordinoides ) thats my opinon from the pics its kinda hard to tell

[Hornets23]

It doesnt look like a puget to me either.

[Repfanatic]

It doesnt look like a puget to me either.
That's what I was thinking from the pictures I've seen, but couldn't find info on any other species in the area.

it kind of looks like a northwestern garter( Thamnophis ordinoides ) thats my opinon from the pics its kinda hard to tell
Yes it does. I believe we have a winner. Thank you.

[adamanteus]

I'm inclined to agree that it looks like T. ordinoides, but a clearer photo would help.

[Repfanatic]

I'm going to take it outside and get better pictures right now, but I'm pretty sure it's a northwestern from the pictures I've seen online of them. Does anybody know of a site with descriptions and ranges of all, or at least a lot, of the garter species?

[Repfanatic]

Okay, here's the new and photoshopped pictures.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/Pseudolove21/Pets/garter1.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/Pseudolove21/Pets/garter2.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/Pseudolove21/Pets/garter3.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/Pseudolove21/Pets/garter4.jpg
And here are some pics of the belly. It's very pretty, but it was hard to get good pictures. The belly fades from light blue to slate gray towards the tail with a bit of red all over.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/Pseudolove21/Pets/garterbelly3.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/Pseudolove21/Pets/garterbelly1.jpg

[Repfanatic]

one more.....
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/Pseudolove21/Pets/garterbelly2.jpg
When I was taking these pictures I noticed his left eye is bigger than his right eye. It's kinda cute, but I can't seem to get good pictures of his head. =(

[Stefan-A]

T. ordinoides.

[gregmonsta]

Lovely snake :D ... ordinoides.

[Repfanatic]

T. ordinoides.
Yep. That's the consensus.

Lovely snake :D
I think so too. Now I have to go find some slugs for him.

[drache]

lovely snake - very

[ssssnakeluvr]

thats a northwestern, t ordinoides. love the orange stripe!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

beautiful ordinoes!!! I wish I had some!

[Repfanatic]

Thanks for the replies, everybody! We went back to the area around the dog park and found a lot more of them. We now have 4 small ones in the tank. We found a pregnant female who was VERY heavy with babies, but we forgot to take a picture. Eventually we'll get the hang of field herping. lol

[prattypus]

Thanks for the replies, everybody! We went back to the area around the dog park and found a lot more of them. We now have 4 small ones in the tank. We found a pregnant female who was VERY heavy with babies, but we forgot to take a picture. Eventually we'll get the hang of field herping. lol
It's fun, I just hope you aren't strip mining the area. I recently my prefered haunts have been rezoned- no more herping. Guess I can just look and take photos. :eek:

[Repfanatic]

It's fun, I just hope you aren't strip mining the area.
Definitely not. We have 4 little ones and we're done. There are still TONS more there. We'll still go out there to see what we can find and take pictures, but we're done collecting.

Guess I can just look and take photos.
That's always fun too.....as long as you have a good camera. I need to get one. lol

[prattypus]

I would sketch, but them little guys don't like to sit still for long once they realize I am there.

[Repfanatic]

I would sketch, but them little guys don't like to sit still for long once they realize I am there.
Yeah. You'd have to be a fast sketcher. LOL!