please help me identify my garter snake

[ConcinusMan]

I'm going with my original ID of T. proximus orarius. (Gulf Coast Ribbon Snake) Regardless of what the salesperson told you, it's not a garter snake and it's not even close to being mistaken for T. sirtalis. However, it's possible I'm mistaken and it could be Thamnophis sauritus. They can look very much like a T. proximus depending on location.

Same thing happens around here. I always see ribbon snakes for sale and they are nearly always labeled as "garter snake" T. sirtalis. One look at a ribbon snake compared to a garter and the difference is obvious as night and day. First thing you'll notice is that they are thinner and their body thickness doesn't taper as abruptly as a garter snake. Ribbons tend to look very long and thin when compared to garters. Ribbon snake bodies sort of look like a whip. The look of the head gives them away too. Head tends to be narrow and pointy compared to a garter snake.

Ribbon:


Garter:

[kibakiba]

Hehe... I don't think it was the fact that they were platies. Maybe the platies were treated with a harmful chemical or something! But platies themselves should be safe to feed. They are a relative of the guppy

Yeah, that's why I added that I could be wrong and that it seemed like it could be something else entirely. It's hard to remember the information I read when I haven't slept.

[snake85]

A photo of the top of the head will be helpful, to tell if it is
T.sauritus or T. proximus.

Please ZOOPLAN, I put the photos on page two of his head please tell me if Proximus has or has Sauritus. I feel that you may be able to tell me.

Thank you

[gregmonsta]

Proximus ...

[gregmonsta]

I think my garter snake is not a Proximus Because it has seven scales above the mouth while Thamnophis proximus eight scales above the mouth.

This can vary and is not always definite

[ConcinusMan]

True. I don't know if the two (proximus and sauritus) have a difference when it comes to dorsal scale rows. If they do, check that too. If both the dorsal row count AND the labial count match for sauritus then I'd begin to doubt the proximus ID. I wouldn't doubt it's a proximus just because the labial scale count is off. I'd need more than that.

T. ordinoides labial scale counts vary from as low as 5, all the way up to 7. Sometimes they have more on one side than the other. It's just not set in stone. I've seen most T. sirtalis (concinnus) with only 7 but I've also seen them with 8 upper labials. You really need more than one indicator, 3 if possible to be sure.

[zooplan]

Ribbon Snakes are easily distinguishable from other Garter Sankes by body mass, like T.fulvus by it´s black tongue or T.rufipunctatus by it´s head shape.
Your snake is a T.proximus (parietal spots close together fusing to one)
I would guess a T.p.proximus because T.p.orarius should have a wider and
well distinct yellow dorsal stripe.

[gregmonsta]

Yes it was.

C'mon now. They call them ribbon snakes, and garter snakes for a reason. They're different and distinguishable from one another. Stop calling them garter snakes. What are you trying to do, get a job at Petco?



I'm not sure of anything anymore. Too much conflicting information. You just described the snake shown in this link, which is said to be a gulf coast ribbon snake T. proximus orarius and this one has 8 upper labials and looks very different from the snake in question.(the subject of this thread)

Thamnophis proximus orarius - Gulf Coast Ribbon Snake

Forget it Snake85, none of us know what we're talking about. We don't know at all what you have. Stefan thinks it's a garter snake and the rest of us seem to be completely lost.

The brown flecking and the ventrolateral not being uniform/a definitive border still have me saying orarius.

At any rate .... it's a proximus

[gregmonsta]

Proximus proximus - uniform black and very wide, definitie ventro-lateral stripe

[zooplan]

Fons has some interesting photos on his sight:
Thamnophis proximus pictures
Those are inclusive habitat information to confirm subspecies!