T. s. infernalis - California Red-sided Garter Snake

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

Beautiful infernalis! So. Humboldt CA Red-sided Garters do not have the clean-cut pattern borders that the Bay Area has! Further north (beginning at south of the Klamath River) we have fitchis with fat black heads with just a touch of red on the cheeks. Partial hybridization is also suspected with the elegans clade (ordinoides may be suspect, but chances are not likely), as many of our sirtalis have ventral red flecking and diffused patterns.

Here's a few of our sirtalis!



T. s. fitchi (Fern Canyon, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park) July 19, 2008


T. s. fitchi (Tolowa Dunes near Lake Earl, Crescent City, CA) Aug. 31, 2008


T. s. fitchi (Hidden Beach, Del Norte County) Aug. 23, 2007


T. s. fitchi / infernalis intergrade (Fern Canyon) April 26, 2008

I have a few more examples following this. Hope to have more examples soon. The SIGHTINGS page on the THAMNOPHIS page linked from the NATIVES page which you get to from the main index of HumboldtHerps has globs of local garter pics! Aw heck... Just go straight there!

Thamnophis - Sightings

Adios!

Steve

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

Wow! I may have posted to many pics on one reply! This post might be out of order?




T. s. infernalis (Headwaters Forest Reserve, Humboldt County) April 18, 2008



T s. infernalis (atypical pattern or inter-special influence with T. elegans terrestris?) (Mad River Hatchery, central Humboldt County) May 6, 2008

[jitami]

T. s. fitchi (Tolowa Dunes near Lake Earl, Crescent City, CA) Aug. 31, 2008

I love this guy Steven! Looks like you took an elegans and splashed a bit of red on him Are you coming across these high yellow markings often?

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

So far I have only stumbled upon a few of the yellow stripes in Del Norte County. Bold white or yellow stripes do show up on fitchis and elegans.

Right now it appears that a lot of fitchis are doing their late summer / early fall get-together. It is not uncommon for some garters to mate both in the spring and autumn. I believe they may carry the young until the spring thaw (which would explain some of the small neonates I occasionally come across in the spring).

It's good to be back on the forum.... but the homework beast calleth now....

Steve

[Bay_area]

Thanks Steven for sharing those pics! awesome! Love the one with the toungue coming out. almost 3D

[Lori P]

I looooooove the cheeks on this guy! lol And the expression is priceless.

[NikkiSixx]

WOW i love the yellow stripe on the T. s. fitchi!!!( the one from Tolowa Dunes.)