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.