what snake?

[guidofatherof5]

T.marcianus-Supralabials 8, lateral stripe confined to 3rd dorsal scale row on neck (rows 2 and 3 thereafter)

T.sirtalis- Supralabials usually 7, lateral stripe usually confined to dorsal scale row 2 and 3

Info. from: The Garter Snake- Ecology and Evolution by Ross, Ford and Seigel

Please disregard this post I made. It is in the wrong thread. Sorry about that.

[ConcinusMan]

Yeah, I noticed that when I read the other thread. No biggie.

[mark cope]

when we got it, we was told north american garter(does that mean northern?)...another site said it was an eastern

[guidofatherof5]

Northern garter snake- No such animal.

[EasternGirl]

Chris had the same situation...actually many people in the U.K. do. Greg has an entire thread dedicated to the fact that garters are being mislabled in the U.K. all the time...often being labled "Northern Garters"....Chris was told his garter was an eastern and it looked similar to yours in the fact that like Richard said...it looked like a red-sided, or parietalis, but with out the red...which happens. So...I'm leaning toward agreeing with Richard on this one...looks like it might be a garter like Chris's...a parietalis without the characteristic red.

Can someone put that thread of Greg's up for Mark to read? And Chris...if you come across this thread..could you post a pic of Nobby?

[Didymus20X6]

Almost all garter snakes are North American, with the exception of a few Central American species.

[EasternGirl]

Right...but we are saying there is no such species as a northern garter.

[mark cope]

Now....... I'm more confused than ever

[ConcinusMan]

Almost all garter snakes are North American, with the exception of a few Central American species.

Yeah, really. Why don't they just call it "common garter snake" and be done with it.

And I've seen Canadian radixes and non-red parietalis' both called "northern garters" before. I don't think they care what kind it is, if they're coming out of Canada, they call them "northern". Oy vey.

[EasternGirl]

Mark...from what I understand...there are stores and breeders in the U.K. that are trying to pass off certain species and subspecies of garters as a different species or rather...they are mislabeling them..probably because they have no idea what species and subspecies the garter actually is...and they have a tendency to sell the garters labeled as "northern garters" as if this is an actual species of garter snake. But there is no species or subspecies of garter called a northern garter. It doesn't exist.