Matt,
Your dad might be working under the theory that something "earned" out of your own effort is always cherished a lot more than something bought. Maybe he's trying to encourage this type of adventure and discovery? I'm glad he has noticed the care and responsibility you've shown to your garter, and I noticed that he's changed his mind on the number of snakes you're now allowed to have
. That's because of
you, so good job!
I also realize that you don't want another common garter snake (
T.s. sirtalis). You want something more exotic and colorful. Terry offered an excellent suggestion about showing your dad the enormous variety of garters available... just not in your area. Do a bit of web surfing and save all the cool garter morph pictures that you find into one directory, so you can show them to him quickly and easily. Then let him know that you want to invest in a more colorful and unique (sub)species. If YOU think it would help, you might also show him the prices (and demand) for some of these morphs. You're definitely on the right track, Matt, so continue to have patience and maturity... it's working
.
Rick