Lookie who is gonna be mine!

[Zephyr]

I can't see the radix in there, Kyle. Of course it's possible, but because of the locale the chances are it's annectens... it certainly looks like one to me.

East Lousiana... My Peterson field guide only shows annectens into Texas, with approximately 200 miles between them and easterns in Louisiana. However, I'm not seeing any plains ranging down into that area either.
If I had to give an ID I'd say a it's an oddly colored Florida blue or a mix between a standard eastern and a florida blue. (Both sirtalis sirtalis, so not an intergrade, more of a variety mix.)

[Stefan-A]

Hate to disagree with you there, Kyle, but that's pretty much how annectens looks.

[Zephyr]

Also, James, the only reason I though radix was because of the stripe. Then I remembered sirtalis sirtalis Florida blues seem to have that predominant stripe as well.

[Stefan-A]

There are better pictures in Strumpfbandnattern, but sadly I don't have it with me.

[adamanteus]

Me too. Where are you seeing 'Florida Blue'? My Florida Blues don't even have the same body form.... they're a pretty 'heavy bodied' sirtalis form.

[Zephyr]

[Zephyr]

Me too. Where are you seeing 'Florida Blue'? My Florida Blues don't even have the same body form.... they're a pretty 'heavy bodied' sirtalis form.

The tail tapering coloration and the stripe.

If it was collected in Louisiana, especially the east, I highly, highly doubt it's annectens.

**EDIT- Also, I've never seen an annectens with brown coloration.

[adamanteus]

I'll be honest.... I can't really argue this much further.... I'm on the wrong side of the ocean, and I've never seen annectens 'in the flesh', but to me it looks like one. Plus, I kind of hope it is!

[Zephyr]

Also... Apparently the lateral stripes envelope only scale row 3 with a bit of the stripe extending to 2 and a bit more predominantly onto 4. I see the brown coloration on row 1 in eastern garters all the time as well.

[Zephyr]

I'll be honest.... I can't really argue this much further.... I'm on the wrong side of the ocean, and I've never seen annectens 'in the flesh', but to me it looks like one. Plus, I kind of hope it is!

Don't we all James. lol
I saw this one particularly striking specimen somebody found in his garage on Kingsnake once. It was like some one stuck a strip of glowing neon in the snake's spine.