Red Eastern project

[infernalis]

If you look close at my gravid gal, there is a lot of red highlights..



now here is the male..



and him again..



and her in a strange angle..



Now, after she has these babies, if I were to hook these two up, should I get a few with this high red trait? They both have a cream white dorsal too.

[Lumpy]

Isn't that what Zephyr refers to as a Northeastern Eastern? Kinda like mine?




Lump

[Loren]

very nice snakes.

[snakeman]

It would probally take a couple generations before you would see any real red.

[infernalis]

So it may take a couple generations to bring out any real reds?

Would that require back breeding? Or could it be accomplished with say introducing another "fresh blood" with similar reds?

What if I set aside a small group of the females, and let Magma have at it? (would the introduction of an Extreme red phase flame speed it up?)

I'd REALLY like to cross Magma with an Albino or Snow Eastern...

Amelanistic Flame, now that would be a purty serpent

Lump - Nice snakes!!!! Like that hide log too....

[Lumpy]

Wayne,

The two pics are of the same female Eastern I caught. Hopefully she'll be having her babies soon.

I can't recall who makes that tree stump hideaway. I call it her "doghouse".

[infernalis]

Lump, How many years you been catching garters?

I have for almost 30, and this year I find 2 with this red, but never before that?

Almost always olive and brown.....

[Lumpy]

LOL!! More like how many weeks!

She's my first snake. My wife and I unknowingly destroyed her hunting grounds while digging up new flower beds along our house. She found poor shelter by a corner of the house and didn't move for 2 days, so I took her in and gave her a home.

I could count on half of one hand how many times I've seen snakes in the wild. I just never seem to see them. And your talking to a hunter who's in the woods a fair amount.

Lump

[infernalis]

Damn Lump, Now I feel bad, I read all about that find in a previous post.

I'll tell you this much, and anyone can challenge away if so compelled..

I lost count how many snakes I have picked up over the decades, and this red trait is NOT common at all.

Look at all the nice photos on here, then single out all the Easterns with red sides and white dorsals, how many are there??

[Lumpy]

Well, Zephyr is another Michigan guy and much, much more of an authority on native Michigan snakes. According to him, the red trait is very localized in the north east. But i guess not that uncommon at least in Michigan. If it is rare, I should have played the lotto the day I found my Eastern! Like I said, I've maybe seen 3 Garters in all my 44 years.

When I was in high school and first moved to Michigan, I used to see a lot of Hognoses. They scared the hell out of me. And the only reason they were plentiful was the subdivision I lived in was new and under construction. All that clearing kicked up snakes. Hissing ones!

Lump