Yesterday's Herping trip - garter pics included

[Thamnophis]

I think it is a Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus.


This one is from Contra Costa county...

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

it could be but if your look closely you can see little black checkers that look like they could come from breeding with a coast garter, so i think its an integrade
see this one looks a lot like the one u posted but its an integrade with a coast garter
Thamnophis atratus intergrades

I think it is a Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------This one is from Contra Costa county...

[Loren]

it could be but if your look closely you can see little black checkers that look like they could come from breeding with a coast garter, so i think its an integrade
see this one looks a lot like the one u posted but its an integrade with a coast garter
Thamnophis atratus intergrades

I dont think that coast garters are known to breed with aquatics. If they did, I believe they would actually be considered hybrids.

"North of the San Francisco Bay(Marin county), there is a very large intergrade range between T. a. hydrophilus and T. a. atratus or T. a. zaxanthus." (californiaherps.com)

T. a. hydrophilus and T. a. atratus and T. a. zaxanthus are all of the T. atratus, or Aquatic garter species.

T. e. terrestris - Coast Gartersnake is of the t. elegans (western terrestrial garter) species.

Looking again at a county map, and ca. herps.com range maps, I would say that either a pure Zaxanthus or an intergrade of the it and the other atratus sub species would be most likely.

Either way, its very pretty.



Anyone confused yet?

[Bay_area]

Marin county is not vagrans range either.
Jerry, what is it? You found it.

I say santa cruz, or santa cruz/diablo/oregon aquatic intergrade. (2 of the 3 anyways)

I thought it was a coast garter, T. e. terrestris

[Loren]

"I thought it was a coast garter, T. e. terrestris"

I guess it is possible that is is just a coast garter that lacks all red, and has a different shade of background color to it. I dont know, but I still lean toward aquatic. So far I havent found any concrete descriptions in feild guides, other than thatif it were a coast. it should have red on it.

[ssssnakeluvr]

not all coast garters have red.

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

yea but i havent seen a pic of one thats green-ish

not all coast garters have red.

[Loren]

yea but i havent seen a pic of one thats green-ish

I agree Reed- that greenish tint is what leans me toward aquatic the most.

[ssssnakeluvr]

I'm thinking the same...the coast garters with no red I have seen are dark, no where near that color greed.

[Loren]

I guess we could just call it a garter snake.