Home herping.

[guidofatherof5]

Did some herping in my yard today. I'm beginning to think I have a den under my back deck. Seems to be the exit point for a large number of radixes. I'm thinking about putting a camera under there to keep an eye on it.


I had been doing some siding work last fall and left the cable cover off the cable box. Guess that makes a great hide. Found this pretty girl under it.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/home2.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/home3.jpg

I've said it before but I've seen a lot of this brown coloring in my radix population in the last year. I'm missing the greens and lighter colors.

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/home.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/home1.jpg

[Zephyr]

Isn't the eastern radix subspecies brown?

[guidofatherof5]

Isn't the eastern radix subspecies brown?
I don't know. Good question.

[Snake lover 3-25]

very pretty:)

[ssssnakeluvr]

there are no subspecies in the radix. nice looking snakes!!!!

[Stefan-A]

there are no subspecies in the radix. nice looking snakes!!!!
Not anymore, anyway. :)

[Odie]

Not anymore, anyway. I am so :confused:

[Stefan-A]

I am so :confused:
There used to be a couple of them. Eastern plains (T. radix radix) and Western plains (T. radix haydeni), but it was deemed that the subspecies were too vaguely defined.

[Odie]

OOO :cool:

[reptileparadise]

Wonderfull finds Steve! I wish I had a backyard like that...

[gregmonsta]

*off to buy a lottery ticket .... must own house in a garter infested area*

[Sid]

More very nice Radix, Steve. I love those nice orange dorsal strips.:D

[guidofatherof5]

While I was working in the house(stupid me) my girls did a little herping in the back yard. They found this little female in an area I planted native grasses. We put a hide in that location and apparently it worked. Nice looking brown phase, again.
I've got radixes everywhere. This little girl is going to stay for awhile. She needs to be taught some manors. She musked me and that's not aloud here at the T.radix Ranch.:D Proper, a radix must always be proper.:D I'm amazed at how this brown phase is dominating the area.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/another_female1.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/another_female.jpg

[Sid]

Another nice one.:) I like the license plate, Steve.

[Snake lover 3-25]

very pretty!!!

[guidofatherof5]

Found this little female in my native grass area. Such a pretty little snake.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/painted_lady.jpg

I wasn't painting out back. The little nut pooped all over my hand. I didn't know such a small snake could poop so much.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/paint.jpg

Here's the native grass area. My wild radixes love it.

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/grasses.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

While doing some landscaping by one of the basement windows, I saw a larger pile of radix poop in the window well area. Looking through the leave I found this adult female. This would be one of the reasons for all the brown phase radixes I have in the area. Seems to be in good health. She's is a lucky snake since she's lost all but about 1/2 inch of her tail. More than likely she's gravid but just to early to see any signs. I put her back and she settled into her place. I'm sure I'll see her again before the radix year is up. She'll be easy to recognize with that very stubby tail.
This area is radix heaven!
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/orange_fe.jpg
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/orange_fe2.jpg

[gregmonsta]

Wow .... ;) knew you'd be finding more lol ... great start to the weekend ;)

[guidofatherof5]

I went out on my deck to enjoy the morning. Looking to the west I spotted this little male out wondering. After a few photos he took off and went under my enclosed deck.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/morning.jpg

[Sssssnakey]

Great pictures! At first when I looked at the pictures of your snakes I thought mine was the same kind, but on closer examination I think our snake, Sammy, is T. elegans vagrans, the Wandering garter snake.

[guidofatherof5]

A lack of radixes! I don't think so. Pulled back one piece of siding off the bottom of my deck and found these 6?7? however many. My deck must be radix central. 4 males 2 females. All beautiful. What a nice group of colors. Back under the deck they went. The word must be out "safety at the T.radix ranch".
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/group.jpg

[Zephyr]

I wonder if they can smell the T. radix pheromones from inside your house...

[guidofatherof5]

I wonder if they can smell the T. radix pheromones from inside your house...

I never thought about that. Looks like I won't need to put a little red light outside.:D

My deck isn't a normal deck. The sides are not open. Most people leave them open or use lattice. I had some leftover vinyl siding and enclosed the deck. It's dark and protected from the elements. Tomorrow, I'm putting a small security camera under there to get a look at the activity. It has built-in infrared for night viewing. I'll run it directly to my TV and dedicate a channel for the snakes. Should be interesting.

[Zephyr]

I never thought about that. Looks like I won't need to put a little red light outside.:D

My deck isn't a normal deck. The sides are not open. Most people leave them open or use lattice. I had some leftover vinyl siding and enclosed the deck. It's dark and protected from the elements. Tomorrow, I'm putting a small security camera under there to get a look at the activity. It has built-in infrared for night viewing. I'll run it directly to my TV and dedicate a channel for the snakes. Should be interesting.That's amazing.
Simply. lol

[guidofatherof5]

Here's another photo of those radixes I found.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/radix_group1.jpg

[ssssnakeluvr]

send me the one with the bright orange stripe that's looking to the right in the pic..... :D heck, just send me a handful!!!! :eek:

[guidofatherof5]

send me the one with the bright orange stripe that's looking to the right in the pic..... :D heck, just send me a handful!!!! :eek:

Sorry, Don.

Not enough to go around. If I start sending radixes to everyone then how can I enjoy them. Radixes are very hard to come by. I had to spend 2 minutes gathering up this group.:D
When I see her again I hold on to her and give you a call. Was it a male or female you wanted? or both or more.


Thinking about inventing a radix door. Kinda like the doggy door. Sure would make life easier for me. That way they could just come in and gone the groups.

[ssssnakeluvr]

well....don't want to ruin your fun of watching all the radixes!!! and our fun seeing the pics!!!!!!!

[Sssssnakey]

Amazing! Look at all those beauties! Our yard at our last house was like that, but the garters were all black.

That would be fascinating to watch on camera. Maybe you could load the video up to youtube, then we could all watch them.

[guidofatherof5]

I'm not at home. Kids and I are visiting the x-mother in law(Love her like my own mom) Had to do some Garter rescue since it was that or they would get the shovel. Wait until you see the beautiful radix I found. KNOCK OUT. Taking the kids kayaking after this, then home to post a picture. It's a male and all I needed to see was his head to know he was something special. WOW

[Sssssnakey]

I'm excited to see the pics!

[guidofatherof5]

I gave this new snake a thread for its own. http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/5442-very-different-red-radix.html

[guidofatherof5]

While out catching a few worms I came across 5 radixes, all out feeding. 4 males and 1 female. The female seemed a little sluggish so I brough her in for a check-up. Put her in a warm enclosure and will check her over tomorrow night.
It was a cool night here, the males all were very active so I'm not sure what's going on with the female. She may just need some TLC. Radixes can be that way, sometimes.

[guidofatherof5]

Yard work radix. Another brown phase. She almost got hit by the weed trimmer. She must be new in the area. She really musked me good. Checked her over and put her back in the grass area. I'll see this girl again before the years out. Probably some of her babies, too.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/musk_queen2.jpg

This is were this girl lives. I'm into native grasses and the radixes love it.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/musk_queen_1.jpg