Its oh so quiet Shh Shh

[ConcinusMan]

I think northwesterns are prettier.

Well you have to imagine it from the perspective of the naturalists that named them. Here they are surrounded by highly variable and sometimes very drab and ordinary (probably why they are called "ordinoides") looking northesterns then they come across a sirtalis which are much larger, mostly all look the same, and are quite strikingly beautiful. Much more impressive animals. In that regard they need a name that describes them as they are in contrast with the other garters around there. And so, "stylistically congruous" (all pretty much the same in color and pattern), unlike the northwesterns) and all quite pretty. And so, since these snakes conform to the sirtalis species, they just need a subspecies name to describe them. "Concinnus" fits the bill.

[RedSidedSPR]

I never even considered that they named them names like that. No idea they meant anything....do they all?

[kibakiba]

Well, I find beauty in the ordinary. Someone could give me a choice between a rainbow garter and a mud coloured garter, I'd take the muddy snake.

Besides, northwesterns are like a box of chocolates. And I love chocolate.

[guidofatherof5]

Well, I find beauty in the ordinary. Someone could give me a choice between a rainbow garter and a mud coloured garter, I'd take the muddy snake.

Besides, northwesterns are like a box of chocolates. And I love chocolate.

"Chantel says Northwesterns are like a box of chocolates.
You never know what you're gonna to get"(said in my best Forrest Gump voice)

[RedSidedSPR]

Well, I find beauty in the ordinary. Someone could give me a choice between a rainbow garter and a mud coloured garter, I'd take the muddy snake.

Besides, northwesterns are like a box of chocolates. And I love chocolate.

Hey I get it. I just love the markings of concinnus. Im a fan if "dull" snakes too. But that doesn't mean they'll always be my favorite......

[kibakiba]

Yes, but my opinion is the only one that counts in this case, because I keep mostly northwesterns and I enjoy them.

I do have 2 concinnus, and I love them. They're beautiful, but I'll always prefer my northwesterns.

[RedSidedSPR]

Yup. Just like I don't give a darn if somebody doesn't like my anery RS... shove it.

Northwesterns are cool. I really like those... Just not as much as concinnus

However I like a normal radix, better than a lot of flashy snakes. I prefer a (even a low-red) red sider to almost any flashy snake.

It just depends. I love the pattern and color of concinnus, which, to me, tops the look of a northwestern. But I like NW enough to completely understand why you love them, so....

[ConcinusMan]

I never even considered that they named them names like that. No idea they meant anything....do they all?

Not really. Some are descriptive such as Thamnophis sirtalis = "bush snake" and "concinnus" -stylistically congruous...

There are certain key physical characteristics that a garter snake must share with the original first described T. sirtalis (eastern garter) and it mainly deals with body proportions and scale counts. That's what makes a concinnus, SF garter, CA red sided, etc. a T. sirtalis. They comply with the physical characteristics. So there's only one name (the third name) to indicate which variety (subspecies) of T. sirtalis it is. Names like concinnus are descriptive. However, in the case of T.s. pickeringi, the third name takes after the person who first described them to science and his last name was "pickering". There are also places in the Puget sound named after the man.

Just saying not all Latin names are descriptive. Some names take after the person who first described them to science. If I'm not mistaken, "pickeringii" is Latin for "of, or belonging to Pickering (the man)"

So roughly translated, "T.s. pickeringii" basically means the same thing as the original common name for that snake - "Pickering's Garter Snake". Puget Sound garter is actually just an alternative, although more commonly used, common name.

[RedSidedSPR]

Gotcha. Cool... Never thought about why they were named what they were...

[Mommy2many]

Eastern's Rule! (sorry Steve)