Identifying a Mixed Bag

[Fishsticks]

I'm a novice hand at this, so I was hoping for a little guidance. If I posted photos of a mixed group of local garters that was dropped off on me, could I borrow your collected experience and brains on which is what and what is which? I can sex them just fine, but figuring out if these are all variations of the same species, or different ones is giving me a headache. Most of these are T. marcianus, but there's enough color variation in a few that I'm not sure about them.

Does anyone mind? If not, pictures will be incoming.

[guidofatherof5]

I would think it shouldn't be a problem.;)

[gregmonsta]

Sounds like fun ;)

[kibakiba]

I'd love to see all the snakes and maybe I'll know one of them :D

[Fishsticks]

Okay, there were ten garters in this bag (and a pair of really cute water snakes), and I've divided them up into three different combinations. I'm only showing a few examples of each, or in the case of one, just one. Allow me to preface this by saying that a guy who loves herping (but not keeping) handed them off to me. I'd herp myself, but I can't go out into the heat without getting sicker than a dog...hooray unknown autoimmune disorders.

The lighting is bad because of a damaged camera. It's hard to tell, but I had two bright lamps on the snakes to try and get their true colors, but it didn't work. I'll put a brief description up of each in the hopes of giving you more information.

#1) Male - With amazingly dark pigment, a rich chocolate brown with an almost pink to melon stripe down the middle.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/chocolate_melon_-_male.jpg

#2.) This female is of the same length and color, chocolate with a melon stripe, however her pattern is considerably darker than the male's. They look like broodmates and were captured in the same place.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/chocolate_melon_-_female.jpg

#3.) This is a large, bright green female with a dusty yellow stripe. T. mauricanus I'm pretty certain, but want to double check her. Observation: In handling her (she is definitely NOT a lady), I can feel lumps in her length - either she's eaten recently or she's gravid.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/bright_green_-_female.jpg

#4.) This medium sized male is light, dusty brown with a beige stripe. Very mellow to handle, immediately ate from my hand, so I wonder if he's sick or something.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/brown_beige_-_male.jpg

#5.) This is my favorite little guy in the bag. Male, with a scarred up tail. (There's a little knob of exposed bone at the end that's healed over.) Very bright green-yellow in places, gray-green/granite in a few spots. His stripe is bright white/yellow. About an inch behind his head there's a noticeable break in his pattern where a gray-green splotch has come up...not sure if it's a scar or what.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/bright_green_-_male.jpg

Anyway, thanks for your help in advance. If you need different angles, let me know, I'll try to wrangle the snakes into posing for them.

[drache]

they all look like marcis to me
the colouring can range from green to brown to black, on a greenish, blondish, off-white to white background; and the dorsal stripe from white or wheat, to yellow, salmon, or neon orange

[kibakiba]

I'm no expert with those but I would have to agree with Rhea, they all look to be the same species and a lot of them seem to be pretty variable to it comes to no surprise that they all look kind of different :)

And to add, some snakes are very mellow and will eat from your hand, when I got my concinnus, they were CB but they were extremely nervous after being in a box for a long time but the male(Ember), while being pretty skittish at first, ate right out of my hand not even 30 minutes after I got them.

[Mommy2many]

All beautiful snakes!

[guidofatherof5]

I would concur with Dr. Rhea. :D

[Fishsticks]

Thank you all so much for your help. ^_^ It's amazing how much variation can exist within a single species. Win.

[ssssnakeluvr]

definitely all checkereds. nice looking snakes!!!

[ConcinusMan]

Thank you all so much for your help. ^_^ It's amazing how much variation can exist within a single species. Win.

Or even within the same population or litter.;)

Check out the T. ordinoides polymorphism poster:


Posters - Diamondback Trading Cards (http://sites.google.com/site/reptiletradingcards/polymorphism-poster)

[mustang]

they all look like marcis to me
the colouring can range from green to brown to black, on a greenish, blondish, off-white to white background; and the dorsal stripe from white or wheat, to yellow, salmon, or neon orange
neon yellow too! cant forget bout checker!