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adamanteus · 03-09-2008, 01:02 PM

I can't help with the cheap Garter I'm afraid, as I'm on the other side of the Atlantic!
The correct spelling you were after is Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis.
Melanistic Garters are naturally (but rarely) occurring. I think most of those in collections are captive bred from a very small numbers of wild caught melanistic individuals. The only melanistics I know of are T. radix and T. s. sirtalis, but there may be others.

03-09-2008, 01:02 PM	#2 (permalink)
adamanteus Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cheshire. (Near Manchester). Posts: 7,967 Country:	Re: gotsa question.. I can't help with the cheap Garter I'm afraid, as I'm on the other side of the Atlantic! The correct spelling you were after is Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis. Melanistic Garters are naturally (but rarely) occurring. I think most of those in collections are captive bred from a very small numbers of wild caught melanistic individuals. The only melanistics I know of are T. radix and T. s. sirtalis, but there may be others. __________________ James.