I found an albino.

[BUSHSNAKE]

yes...the eyes are different as well, t+ will be ruby red eyes and t- will have pink eyes....some people think a T+ albino can also be called hypomelanistic

[EasternGirl]

Hmmm...I thought Possum's eyes looked ruby red to me. Do you have any pics of T+ albinos with the ruby red eyes?

[BUSHSNAKE]

here..can you tell the difference

[charles parenteau]

Awesome catch very interresting!

[Natrix]

[QUOTE=EasternGirl;207255]Hmmm...I thought Possum's eyes looked ruby red to me. Do you have any pics of T+ albinos with the ruby red eyes?[/QUOTE
When it comes to white specimens of any animal there are three combinations of Albinism:

1) True Albino = Extreme White with pink eyes
2) White / Creamy White with Dark pink/Ruby Red eyes = Dark eyed white
3) White / Creamy White with Black eyes = Black eyed white

[EasternGirl]

Joe...what kind of snakes are those in the pics you posted for me? The first one is a marcianus, yes? But the second? Yes, I see the difference now. I never would have thought the snake in the second pic was an albino. I mean, once you look at the eyes, you know. But at first glance...looking at the coloring on that snake...I would never think albino.

Rod...I did know that there were albinos with black eyes...but I didn't know about the T+ and the T-. I didn't know that there were darker and lighter albinos, and the darker and lighter eyes. That is very interesting. I guess this all has to do with breeding...

[BUSHSNAKE]

both sirtalis sirtalis...first one is Florida strain(T-) and the red one is Schuett strain(T+)

[EasternGirl]

Hmmm...I thought for sure that first one was a checkered. Looks a lot like Hermes...but I see now where the checkering is less defined and limited to the upper dorsal area. Lovely little snakes.

[Dan72]

Awesome looking snake! Love it. I am (fingers crossed, knock wood) having great luck with mine so far. Eating well, just had FIRST SHED!! Good luck with yours. We love our Butterscotch.

[ConcinusMan]

The snake is definitely a T positive. If it's a native from Kent, WA there's only one of three snakes it could be. T. ordinoides, T. sirtalis pickeringi or T. elegans vagrans. Scale counts should clear it up.

A T positive albino ordinoides has never been found (they've all been T negative) so it's not very likely a northwestern. An albino (of any type) T. sirtalis (concinnus or pickeringi) has never been confirmed in the northwest so it's also not likely a Puget sound garter. If it was, it would be the first albino ever found. However, numerous T positive wandering garters have been found so that's where I would put my money. It's probably a wandering. Again, scale counts and head scale shapes would tell you which of the three it is. They are all three different on their scaling but I'm betting on T. elegans vagrans since many T positive ones have been found.

I can't really tell from those pictures. The only head shots are too blurry and the ones that aren't blurry, cut off the head. If it's a T. ordinoides, you have the first and only T positive one ever found, that I'm aware of.

No matter what it is, it's spectacular and finding it goes way beyond lucky. You'd have better luck hitting a 2 inch target with a snub nose .38 from a mile away. Finding a single needle in an entire field full of haystacks perhaps? Well, you get the point. The odds aren't good at all.