T. s. tetrataenia or T. s. infernalis???

[Stefan-A]

Wait- garter snakes aren't mammals? I know you mean well, but sometimes you come off quite arrogant. And are mules the only hybrids that are sterile? I thought Ligers were too?

The fertility of hybrids span the whole spectrum, from zero to greater than either of the parent species. It's true, though, that snakes often do produce fertile offspring, even when you cross genera.

[prattypus]

See, I learn so much on here.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Obviously, a T.s concinnus would never breed with a flame eastern (t.s sirtalis) in nature, but if it happened in captivity, I still wouldn't call that a hybrid. Hey! who's up for trying that?

anybody who would be up for trying that, would be a novice or inexperienced keeper that's not a true garter snake hobbyist and has no idea that they even have two totally different animals. Trust me, there are plenty of people out there right now who, if they had both of those animals, they would try it. I actually read on some guys website a while ago that he was attempting to breed albino checkered garters to blue pugets. Some others here may remember that. And those aren't even the same species!!! Believe me... vending at shows with my animals, I have seen it all! A lot of people, even in our own hobby, seem to think that garter snakes are all the same exact snake. They get all bent out of shape over a cornsnake that may possibly have emory rat in it (creamsicle and rootbeer corns are not actually corns and have tainted many cornsnake lines) but they come up to my table and suggest I cross my infernalis with with my eastern blackneck "to see if you get any new morphs"... were the exact words. I'm like hey people, these are not morphs these are naturally occuring species!

and I for one, would still call that a hybrid. Because it was intentional... and in captivity. intergradation is defined is it occuring between two populations in nature. I would be tempted to step on it's head, but I could never kill a snake that was not gravely ill or wounded.... so I would probably buy the thing and wall it off in it's own container so that it could live it's life, but never breed.

[ConcinusMan]

Whoa, take it easy shannon. I was only kidding. That would be ludicrous.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Whoa, take it easy shannon. I was only kidding. That would be ludicrous.

I know you were kidding... but others may not have.

[ConcinusMan]

I know it's an old thread but I've seen pictures of wild infernalis' having that pattern, although it usually isn't the entire body. More like the last 1/3 usually. I tend to think that this baby of yours is just aberrant. Remember the "aztec" radixes? Very similar aberrancy.

Any updates? Is this snake still around?

[reptileparadise]

Thanks for asking!

The snake is still around... in Hungary...
good chance the animals was just a normal abberant indeed (if one call call it that ).
We sold this animal to someone who we knew is good for his word and will not breed it.

May not sound very logical, but its a way / our way of making sure the stripey ones don't get mixed up with tetra's...!

[Light of Dae]

Any chance they could send you a picture? Would really like to see how it turned out.

[ConcinusMan]

I think it should probably look the same, only bigger.

[reptileparadise]

Indeed.... Very little pattern changes in these guys when they grow...