Whats everybodys favorite garter snake

[gartermorphs]

Whats everybodys personal favorite species/subspecies and color phase?

[Stefan-A]

Normal. Can't decide which species.

[mustang]

checkered shrtheaded and pudget sound i think....maybe more maybe less...cant pick just one

[Atlas511]

Nebraska Albino T.Radix

[Hollis_Steed]

Melanistic T.e. vagrans (so far):)

[infernalis]

California garter snakes!!! Normal... Top of the list, if I could have only one, etc..

Followed by Flame & blackneck.

http://www.thamnophis.us/cherry/infernalis2.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

T. radix dark phase.

[BUSHSNAKE]

Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis is the "grand daddy" of all Thamnophis species, because of their large range they are one of the most naturally variable, they have commonly occuring natural color morphs such as melanistic, flame and red phase. Albinos have been found in Canada and the U.S. in such states as Massachusetts, New York, Kentucky, Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Illinois(many years back could have been semifaciatus) and each has been unique to their local. Freak morphs also appear occasionaly such as leucistic, piebald, paternless and scaleless, So from a collector/breeders point of view the eastern garter snake is an exciting snake to work with, every year gets better with these guys, if you would of told me 6 or 7 years ago that id be working with eastern garter snakes i would of laughed at you, but here i am and im here to stay! Amen

[ssssnakeluvr]

hmmmmm......all of them??? :rolleyes:

[Hollis_Steed]

Bushsnake, with an endorsement like that you almost make a believer out of me!

[infernalis]

Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis is the "grand daddy" of all Thamnophis species, because of their large range they are one of the most naturally variable, they have commonly occuring natural color morphs such as melanistic, flame and red phase. Albinos have been found in Canada and the U.S. in such states as Massachusetts, New York, Kentucky, Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Illinois(many years back could have been semifaciatus) and each has been unique to their local. Freak morphs also appear occasionaly such as leucistic, piebald, paternless and scaleless, So from a collector/breeders point of view the eastern garter snake is an exciting snake to work with, every year gets better with these guys, if you would of told me 6 or 7 years ago that id be working with eastern garter snakes i would of laughed at you, but here i am and im here to stay! Amen


I have caught and photographed at least a dozen different (or more) easterns (meaning pattern, color, dark, light, etc...) right in my own back yard.

[charles parenteau]

Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis is my favorite of all and most California species are also in my top 10 list.

[snakeman]

Sirtalis sirtalis the high contrast canadian variety.bar none

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis.... this variety:


http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/aSnakeLovinBabe/Snakes/Garters/7362047.jpg

[ConcinusMan]

I don't own this, Don Belnap does. My absolute favorite snake. A very richly colored Nebraska Christmas albino T. Radix.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g302/ssssnakeluvr/DSCF1006-1.jpg

[infernalis]

I thought for sure Concinnus was your favourite.

[ConcinusMan]

T.s. concinnus is my favorite sirtalis. Not my favorite snake when it comes down to one snake;)

[Jeff B]

Normal. Can't decide which species.

Surprise!!!

I would have never guessed you would say Normal, Stefan:D

Hey no disrespect though, to each their own, and I actually understand where you are coming from, but I personally have to agree with Don, I like them all.

As far as temperament I prefer to work with red-sideds

Of course, I agree, as Joe pointed out easterns are were its at for variability and morphs for combo potiential

[infernalis]

Radix has to be a close second guys.

There are so many different ones, I lose track of them all.

[ConcinusMan]

Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis.... this variety:


http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/aSnakeLovinBabe/Snakes/Garters/7362047.jpg

Oh boy, Shannon. That snake is definitely worthy.

I will be shown up, but not without some kind of retort so I give you my red stripe T.ordinoides girl. Actually, she was Redspot's wild friend until I snatched her. Ooops. Don't regret it though. That reminds me. Must get pics of her with the NEW camera later.
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/5274/gedc1462.jpg


Coming soon, I promise.

[infernalis]

That red stripe is amazing Richard, I want one BAD.

[ConcinusMan]

Me too. good thing I got one.:p

We seriously have just now run into some decent weather. 80's and mostly sunny rest of the week. Going to meet and herp with Redspot tomorrow. Same place this red stripe girl was found. Same place where tons of anery, hypoery, and just plain "different" T.s. concinnus roam freely in great numbers.:D

A blue anery with almost NO red spots (high black and blue?) snake was spotted in the area today. Along with all kinds of "different" concinnus.:eek:

We think this is a polymorphic T.s. concinnus population. This is good news to get more variety in our CB concinnus gene pools! Shannon: get those anery's I sent to you producing offspring ASAP! I think you'll find the babies to be polymorphic.

[Napta]

My favorites are T.Sirtalis Infernalis and Pickeringii blue...
But i despair of finding Pickeringii blue in France... :(

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Me too. good thing I got one.:p

We seriously have just now run into some decent weather. 80's and mostly sunny rest of the week. Going to meet and herp with Redspot tomorrow. Same place this red stripe girl was found. Same place where tons of anery, hypoery, and just plain "different" T.s. concinnus roam freely in great numbers.:D

A blue anery with almost NO red spots (high black and blue?) snake was spotted in the area today. Along with all kinds of "different" concinnus.:eek:

We think this is a polymorphic T.s. concinnus population. This is good news to get more variety in our CB concinnus gene pools! Shannon: get those anery's I sent to you producing offspring ASAP! I think you'll find the babies to be polymorphic.

I have them setup as a trio... The male and female anery are in with my big female normal... in a display cage. The look so nice! I'll be attempting to cross the male with both of those females this season... to see what kinds of offspring I get from breeding them to each other and the male to that red female. The female anery is not gravid. :(

[mustang]

dang that reedstripes drop dead goregous

[GarterGeek]

I haven't made up my mind yet. I think I'd have to see a wider variety of species in person. Is it just me, or do the snakes look very different in real life than they do even in the highest quality photos?

I've never been a fan of albinos, they always seem to remind me of worms. I generally prefer natural, although I don't mind some of the other abnormalities as much.

[ConcinusMan]

I have them setup as a trio... The male and female anery are in with my big female normal... in a display cage. The look so nice! I'll be attempting to cross the male with both of those females this season... to see what kinds of offspring I get from breeding them to each other and the male to that red female. The female anery is not gravid. :(

I went out today to the same area. Met Redspot (Nate) out there. Anery's were everywhere but so were a lot of other morphs including normals (see nature photography thread).

We really think this is a polymorphic population but there are very few males, and surprisingly, even now, very few females appear to be gravid.:confused:

Anyway, you can mate any of these snakes such as your anery's to normals and you never know what you're going to get for offspring. Great potential for some very different concinnus. That means in order to know the outcome, lots of holdbacks 'till they "color up":cool:

I found out someone has already been breeding concinnus from that area. Breeding blue anery to blue anery has produced normals, hypoery's, and anery offspring but it takes a year or two for them to show their colors. it's definitely polymorphism. Just fatten those two up for brumation and go for it next spring!

[Jeff B]

I think you may be right Richard, about the population being polymorphic from the results from that breeder you refered to along with what you are seeing in the field.

[Jlkelly88]

Puget Sound and Easter Black-Necked Garter

[infernalis]

Puget Sound and Easter Black-Necked Garter

The thanksgiving blacknecks are cool too.

[ConcinusMan]

I think you may be right Richard, about the population being polymorphic from the results from that breeder you refered to along with what you are seeing in the field.

Yeah, I've been beating myself up trying to speculate on why a population would have so many anery's but subsequent trips to the area have revealed that even though anery's are the most common, there are also normals, and a lot of snakes that show varying amounts of colors and patterns, some snakes showing traits of two extremes combined, etc. Polymorphism is really the only explanation that fits.

Up until now, the only variation I've seen in a concinnus population was varying pattern and total area of orange/red some with lateral stripes, some not, but for the most part, such variations have been minor so polymorphism really didn't occur to me when it comes to concinnus.

In this particular area, the variations just happen to be dramatic. As dramatic as the differences you can find within a T. ordinoides population.

And so, now to speculate on why natural selection seems to favor the anery's... Hmmm....

I mean, "typical" concinnus aren't any easier to spot than the anery's. Seems like they would be, but normals really blend in just as well as an anery.

[gartergabe]

Checkereds and t+ nabraska snow radix

[9darlingcalvi]

Either Northwestern garter, puget sound garter or black necked garter. My most fav is a melonistic common garter, or any melonistic garter.

[Tora]

Probably Blue-striped Ribbons, Florida Blue-Stripes, or Blue Pugets. I really love the blues that they get!

[Lowland Reptiles]

I have a soft spot for the mexicans. Think I would pick T eques scotti as my favorite, closely followed by T. eques cuitzeoensis.

[Dilton204]

The High Red Albino T.Radix

[Qwerty3159]

Melanistic Easterns

[guidofatherof5]

Every T. radix outside my house.

[Thamnophisbox]

Thamnophis cyrtopsis ocellatus
Thamnophis atratus atratus
Thamnophis sirtalis concinnus normal & blue phase

[user]

I have them setup as a trio... The male and female anery are in with my big female normal... in a display cage. The look so nice! I'll be attempting to cross the male with both of those females this season... to see what kinds of offspring I get from breeding them to each other and the male to that red female. The female anery is not gravid. :( Your clay art is cool

[Tommytradix]

Here is my top 5

1. T. Radix

2. T. s. concinnus

3. T. s. parietalis

4. T. exsul

5. T. scalaris

[Thamnophisbox]

Here is my top 5

1. T. Radix

2. T. s. concinnus

3. T. s. parietalis

4. T. exsul

5. T. scalaris

radix, really? never thought that lol :D

[Tommytradix]

parietalis is only up there cause of my lucy lol easterns would be 6th.