Saved from the mower (2 huge gravid easterns)

[infernalis]

We were mowing 14 acres of grass today and I found these two gorgeous gals and spared them from the spinning blades.

Look how dark this one is.
http://www.reptard.info/today/gravid1.jpg

Within minutes this one scurried out of the tall grass...

http://www.reptard.info/today/gravid2.jpg

Saw a third even bigger than these two, but she was quick and made it down a gopher hole. So the end result was the same, spared from the blades.

[prattypus]

Very nice contrasting colors- nice finds- but I don't envy the way you found them!

[Tyrel26]

i spent the whole day searching for garters yet saw nothing, you on the other hand find 3 while cutting grass....

very nice snakes....unfair world lol

[Hollis_Steed]

Good job for saving them! They are beautiful!

[guidofatherof5]

Very nice. Love that dark phase one. Wait, I love them all.

[infernalis]

since we are not done cutting , I offered pinkies. the more normal looking of the two gobbled without hesitation.

The black one refused.

[guidofatherof5]

Soooo, the dark phase won't eat. hmmmmmm You do have my address and I do have a fedex account. Just thinking out loud.:D

[infernalis]

Dorothy beat you to it, she wants me to head start the babies and release them, so she can keep the mom.

[MasSalvaje]

I don't want to speak for Steve but what if the babies look like mom? Babies that look like that just wouldn't make in the wilds of NY.

Iowa or better yet, Utah would be the perfect place for something as fragile as those little guys.;)

-Thomas

[infernalis]

Good point, that excessive melanin could be genetic.

I have a male Melanistic Eastern I could pair her up with next season.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Nice finds Wayne! But wait... why would the dark babies not thrive any better in NY???? I find dark stripeless easterns like that one all the time in western PA. They get along just fine! The dark pigment IS genetic because all things about a snake including it's color makeup come from it's genetics. The female i called Penny that spent her whole summer living on the side of my house and even eating worms out of my hands looked just like that dark one. She was gravid... I think the dark coloration would be very beneficial!

[infernalis]

Shannon, Thomas was joking, he wants "Midnight" or some babies
and does Steve.

The one I did not get to photograph was even bigger than these two:eek:

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

oh.... I feel so silly now. I thought he was serious!!! lol! :rolleyes:

Finally someone was joking and for once I didn't catch on! I usually do but I suppose we all have our moments :o

[guidofatherof5]

oh.... I feel so silly now. I thought he was serious!!! lol! :rolleyes:

Finally someone was joking and for once I didn't catch on! I usually do but I suppose we all have our moments :o


It's ok Shannon. It though me for a moment and then I realized Thomas was making a play for that snake, which I had clearly called dibs on:D

[MasSalvaje]

It's ok Shannon. It though me for a moment and then I realized Thomas was making a play for that snake, which I had clearly called dibs on:D

No no, you have all misunderstood. I am worried about the welfare of the little ones. I believe the baby snakes are the future, we must teach them well and help them find their way. That can only properly be done away from the hussle and bussle of rural NY, Iowa, and even Penn for that matter.

-Thomas

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

You are right. we must start a campaign to capture all garter snakes from these states and to send them to you at once!

[MasSalvaje]

Now your talking!

-Thomas

[Mommy2many]

I would have to say that Connecticut is a much better location for the babies than NY, Penn, most places in Iowa and Utah.:D

[MasSalvaje]

Now your talking!

-Thomas

I just realized I made the mistake that drives me nuts! So I apologize for putting "your" instead of "you're."

And as nice as Conn is, it still just can't top the the mountains of UT, but I might be willing to share.;)

-Thomas

[charles parenteau]

I catch A specimen like that over the last 3 years always at the same place ...under a metal sheet ...I catch this snake few week ago with bleu eye took the sanke home to see her real color after shed...Finally the vertebral strippe become more visible with age...
I can't find pictures after shed...
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s152/parenteau/P1100019.jpg

[infernalis]

Beautiful snake.

[ConcinusMan]

Kinda funny how in the first pic, your hands are bare and there are obvious clues that the snake was not happy about being grabbed and musked you. In the second pic, it's gloved hands.:p

Just an observation.

Awesome snakes, and definitely looking gravid.:D

And Charles, that is a beautiful garter in your pic. Not flashy, but awesome anyway.

[infernalis]

Kinda funny how in the first pic, your hands are bare and there are obvious clues that the snake was not happy about being grabbed and musked you. In the second pic, it's gloved hands.:p

Just an observation.

Awesome snakes, and definitely looking gravid.:D

And Charles, that is a beautiful garter in your pic. Not flashy, but awesome anyway.

That's easy....

In the first picture, I was picking strawberries in front of the mower trying to get all I could before they got destroyed by the tractor...

In the second picture I was in the process of clearing about 2 miles of canvas covered fire hoses (used for irrigation) out of the way. The hoses are long and heavy thus hard on the hands.:cool:

Nice attention to details Richard.


http://www.reptard.info/today/berries2.jpg

here is the guy I hired to do the mowing...took all day even with that big setup. Now the real fun begins, picking up all the stray rocks so I can get a finishing mower over it.

http://www.reptard.info/today/dave.jpg