New wild caught albino plains T.radix

[Jeff B]

Wow, talk about an exciting week, this week I aquired some amazing new animals.
First and foremost today I aquired a newly found wild caught Albino plains garter T. radix.
This snake was aquired from Chad Howser, this snake was found in Dodge Co. in Nebraska, about 50 miles west of Omaho. This general area is rich with morphs and has produced several albinos and erythristic (red) radix over the years. This albino was found in the general region were my red radix was found that I aquired from Ian Cambell last year. I believe this snake may end up being compatible to the current Nebraska albino strain, however it may not, and while it has some similarities in appearance it has some definately distiguishing characteristics as well and I belive that is has some of the red radix characteristics as well. This animal has a much lighter and duller straw colored background color, the eyes are lighter, yet a much darker orange dorsal stripe, and has orange color surrounding the dark checkers on the sides, and it has a pinkish/orangish ghostly look to it. I think this snake has some similarities to the snake Steves "Rita" that he found in the same general area last year, which is why I was extremely dissapointed to hear of her passsing, but at least he still has the babies from her and maybe we will still be able to do some shared breeding efforts.
http://gartersnakemorph.com/images/DodgeCowildcaughtalbinoplainscloseup.jpg
http://gartersnakemorph.com/images/DodgeCowildcaughtalbinoplains3.jpg
http://gartersnakemorph.com/images/DodgeCowildcaughtalbinoplainscloseuptop.jpg
http://gartersnakemorph.com/images/DodgeCowildcaughtalbinoplainscloseuphead.jpg
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Jeff Benfer
gartersnakemorph.com (http://gartersnakemorph.com)

[Hollis_Steed]

Jeff, congratulations on a beautiful addition!

[GartersRock]

That is a very unique looking albino!! Congrats!

[otis lee]

sweet! super congrats!!

[guidofatherof5]

Very, very nice. Congrats.

[oki-inu]

I like the orange stripe. Nice snake!

[ConcinusMan]

That is gorgeous! What a find! I'm so jealous. The only garter snake morphs I've ever found were melanistic T. ordinoides. Well, then there's the "blue" anery concinnus but those are plentiful in certain locations.

[Jeff B]

Thanks guys, yah I got lucky because this snake was caught about a month ago and pictures were posted of it on a local pet shops facebook page, but luckily it didn't receive a ton of attention otherwise I would have maybe got in a bidding war, like the other wild caughts this year and I would have come up short. Lucky for me I had talked with Chad several times last year about corn snakes that I had for sale and so he knew I was big into garters and contacted me first. I paid a pretty penny for this snake but I love it even though I will not likely make my money back any time soon. It is a male, was actually hoping it was a female and I was going to breed it to my Ian Cambell red radix, but I have a couple other ideas now. Need to talk with Steve about one idea that we had previously arranged. I will be calling you Steve, so don't be ignoring my call, lol:D

[ConcinusMan]

I never have been all that fond of nebraska's but that WC you have there is gorgeous. I wonder if it's actually a different strain?

[mustang]

wow awsome!

[Jeff B]

Thanks guys. Richard I think it's safe to say or qualify it as a different strain or line than the current Nebraska strain, the real question and what I think you were eluding to is: are they compatible?, that is are they the same gene at the same loci causing the albinism (or maybe more correctly amelanistic) phenotype.
And you're right, proving or disproving that is one of the breeding projects on this list for his future.
Even if it is does prove compatible and is nothing ground breakingly new, at the very least it will be a new strain for outcrossing and increasing the gene pool in my own collection to keep the albino radix strong.

[Eddie]

Great addition!
I will be curious to see what others it is compatible with.
Congrats
Ed

[charles parenteau]

This is awesome Jeff incredible animal....

[Jeff B]

Thanks Ed, yah before I test compatibility I would like to keep the look (strain) seperate by breeding it to a close locality, the guy I got it from is going to try and find a red female in the same area for me, which would be ideal to keep it somewhat pure at first then I can do all kinds of crosses later. Apparently it was caught while "wrestling with another one" I assume it was breeding, wish I had that female too, wouldn't that be something.

Thanks Charles, like I said guys I got pretty lucky to get this guy, hope I can keep it alive and stud it to lots of girls and make lots of babies.

[Jeff B]

He ate a fuzzie today!!! Man is that a relief, over the first hurdle anyway.

[guidofatherof5]

Great news, Jeff.
Now for the good life at Jeff's place.
Eating and breeding:D or is it breeding and eating.:D

[Jeff B]

Well Steve i'm sure he probably would be even more spoiled and maybe happier at your place, and you probably wouldn't "kick him out of your house for eating crackers",:D but hey it's not like i'm running a puppy mill, my main goal will be to keep him healthy and take care of all his needs and keep him alive to sow seeds to share with the hobbie. I will not likely make the money back that I paid for him, so that is obviously not my motivation.

[ianrambell]

Wow thats a awesome radix. Thats the one thing I miss about nebraska is all the red radix:( If you go up to the town where I lived you might get lucky and find a nice red radix. Its just gunna be harder without me there to show you where to look, But I told steve my most productive spots.

[guidofatherof5]

Well Steve i'm sure he probably would be even more spoiled and maybe happier at your place, and you probably wouldn't "kick him out of your house for eating crackers",:D but hey it's not like i'm running a puppy mill, my main goal will be to keep him healthy and take care of all his needs and keep him alive to sow seeds to share with the hobbie. I will not likely make the money back that I paid for him, so that is obviously not my motivation.

Jeff,
I hope you didn't think I was being derogatory towards you. Never intended anything that way.:)

[Jeff B]

Not at all Steve, I'm just saying my tubs and racks compared to your nice spacey homemade 6 ft cages, makes me practically look like a puppy mill, I sincerely meant to be complimenting your extra generous and spacious care that you give, maybe it didn't come accross that way. There is no doubt your cages are a more natural like home and the snake would be happier than my rack systems, but I am just trying to keep things simple, easy, and healthy like I said. I've actually been giving some thought to trying a large display cage with a pair in my family room to see how I like it, but space is a premium, I probably need to be downsizing my collection too, of course maybe we both could say that:D

[Jeff B]

Wow thats a awesome radix. Thats the one thing I miss about nebraska is all the red radix:( If you go up to the town where I lived you might get lucky and find a nice red radix. Its just gunna be harder without me there to show you where to look, But I told steve my most productive spots.

Hey Ian, hows it going. Glad you saw this post, were did you used to live and were did you find the red radix (what county or town near?) that I got from you last year, I couldnt remember exactly but I thought it was west of Omaha, right?

[ssssnakeluvr]

Hey Ian, hows it going. Glad you saw this post, were did you used to live and were did you find the red radix (what county or town near?) that I got from you last year, I couldnt remember exactly but I thought it was west of Omaha, right?

HMMM....I would like to know on my red radix the location she was found also..... :cool: