My first!

[SkinnyPete]

Got some better pics tonight of the belly and vent:



The vent looks pink in the pics, but in person it is not pink or inflamed. I think it looks more pink in the pics because I am holding onto her tail. When she is relaxed it looks just fine. She (I am thinking it is a she from what you guys have said.) is settling in great. Ate another nightcrawler this AM that I put in her water dish with a small amount of water. Then she pooped this afternoon in her new enclosure. So things are going in and coming out, and overall she is vigorous and healthy looking. I did another 5 min handling session tonight and she was very calm and did not musk or urinate (both positives) and was pretty mellow, squirmy at first , but calmed down almost immediately. No attempts at biting, or aggression at all.
Her new home is a 10gal aquarium with 2 hides a water dish and Aspen as bedding. I got a screen top for it with a "hatch" to access through that has a nice secure latch. I took the advice given here and made sure to fill in the "gap" at the top of the tank between the lid and the tank so she couldn't wedge up in there. (Some 3/8" poly/nylon rope hot glued in there made a perfect gasket!) and screwed the lid onto the top frame of the tank so it can't come off. She lives on the shelf above my Leopard gecko's so she gets a little warmth from them through the bottom of her cage, keeps it at 78-82F from what the thermometer told me today.
Thanks everyone for all the great advice and comments!
So just to verify, it looks like a girl? My kids are incessantly asking! I think from the immediate size drop on the tail after the vent that is looks female, but I am looking at my first snake with a grand total if 30 hrs of research under my hat,, so yeh, best guess from me
The kids have decided to name it : Lexi if it's a girl and Alex if it's male.
Thanks again!

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

Yep, shes a Fitchi!!! I have 2. Well 16 if you count the babies!!! Lol They are fantastic snakes to own. I love mine. She is very pretty. Congrats on your new pet!!

[Invisible Snake]

She definitely looks female and Lexi is a great name for her.

[ConcinusMan]

Southern oregon...

No way red sided (CA or Canadian kind) occur near Medford. CA red sided might be around Brookings though. No concinnus' down Medford way either. I can't see the pics (I've come to expect this from photobucket users. DON'T move or delete your photos after you hotlink them!) but it does sound like T. s. fitchi. I know they are called "valley garters" but this refers to mountain valleys, which is where Medford sits.

Although a snake on this page is listed as "western terrestrial" (not even close) it is a T.s. fitchi from Medford.



Reptiles of Oregon - Ghost House Corn Snakes

[thamneil]

Sounds like you've got the husbandry down pat! About the vent, it sometimes remains open and can look swollen if the snake has been musking. My flames' vents always look that way when they are being handled.

[SkinnyPete]

They are deff T. s. fitchi, sorry about the first pic, I didn't realize I couldn't go back and edit it.
Here is a pic from today:

Southern oregon...

No way red sided (CA or Canadian kind) occur near Medford. CA red sided might be around Brookings though. No concinnus' down Medford way either. I can't see the pics (I've come to expect this from photobucket users. DON'T move or delete your photos after you hotlink them!) but it does sound like T. s. fitchi. I know they are called "valley garters" but this refers to mountain valleys, which is where Medford sits.

Although a snake on this page is listed as "western terrestrial" (not even close) it is a T.s. fitchi from Medford.



Reptiles of Oregon - Ghost House Corn Snakes

[ConcinusMan]

They are deff T. s. fitchi, sorry about the first pic, I didn't realize I couldn't go back and edit it.

If you move, delete, whatever, at your photobucket account, the link you posted becomes invalid and points to something which no longer exists. You know the concept. If you move and fail to inform the post office, you will not get your mail. It will go to the wrong address.

Gorgeous snake.