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[adamanteus]

Adamanteus: Scott Felzer got a melanistic wandering, all black from Montana a few years ago, we have hypermelanistic wanderings in Utah. I have also read about melanistic maritime garters on St George Island.....

Wow! I never heard of any of those. I bet you'll be the first one on the forum to get specimens!

[anji1971]

Hello, and welcome to the forum! That is a very cool snake in the photos!

[tikichick]

Welcome! Very interesting variation on that snake.

[jtvl5]

so where has everyone found black ones in the wild? I have heard of them in Ohio, Nova Scotia, Oregon, California, Ontario, Utah and Montana. Thanks everyone, here is a few more pics.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...v/IMG_0432.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...v/IMG_0895.jpg

jt

[GarterGuy]

Welcome to the forum James. Wow....nice bin 'o snakes you've got there. I'd have to agree with Don, your melanistic is probably a T.e.vagrans. To be sure I'd do some scale counts. T.e.vagrans has 19-21 rows of scales and has 8 upper labials with the 6th and 7th enlarged. T.s.sirtalis has 19 scale rows and 7 upper labials. Hope this helps.

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

wow that is a great bin of snakes wow, where do u find all those? isnt one of those a california red-sided but u dont live in california do u?

[drache]

there are melanistic vagrans in our classifieds, but i doubt there are any left

[Sid]

Welcome to the forum, James. Great photos of an unusual speciman.

[ssssnakeluvr]

that's definitely a wandering....looks like the hypermelanistics here in Utah....check with Brian Eager, has photos...mine is hibernating, but I might have a photo of him. the background colors and pattern are definitely vagrans. very nice snake!!!!! I don't have any photos ....drat.. theres an ad from Brian with a photo of one.