Blue (eastern) garter snake

stonyloam · 03-13-2007, 10:54 PM

This is a photo of a wild eastern garter snake that I found last summer at my home in western NY, close to Rochester. It is a real beauty. I have seen hundreds of wild garters over the years, but never one like this.

Cazador · 03-14-2007, 01:59 AM

Terry,

That's what I'm talking about! I've never seen a captive one like that and wouldn't have guessed that's what you were talking about. What a snake! I'd love to see a hundred more pictures of it, but I realize you caught it years ago. Did you keep it, and was it at all aggressive when you caught it?

Rick

Sid · 03-14-2007, 04:14 AM

Wow that's an unusual color morph for a T. s sirtalis. Gorgous! thanks for sharing the photo.

Sid

adamanteus · 03-14-2007, 04:25 AM

Fantasic looking snake Terry. Have you kept it?

Snaky · 03-14-2007, 04:32 AM

Very nice one. Most be great to find it in the wild

Thamnophis · 03-14-2007, 06:07 AM

Those Eastern garter snakes are very variable. Beautiful animal.

drache · 03-14-2007, 07:12 AM

what a beautiful snake.
I love the blue morphs, and the patterning as well as the colour on this one is amazing!

btw - can anyone enlighten me, as to the difference between a Florida Blue and a Blue Stripe? I am not at home, where I can look at stuff more easily.

I just looked at Scott's sites. He used to separate them into two distinct subspecies and apparently now he doesn't. I thought one was T. sirtalis sirtalis florida and the other T.sirtalis similis.

GarterGuy · 03-14-2007, 08:32 AM

Hmmmm.....I'm wondering if that's not a Maritime garter (T.s.pallidulus) rather than an Eastern garter (T.s.sirtalis)????? The spotting on the body, lack of a mid-dorsal stripe and just the colour scheme really remind me of pics I've seen of other Maritimes. Either way, very pretty snake.
Roy

stonyloam · 03-14-2007, 09:39 AM

Thanks everyone! I am glad you liked the photo. As for the ID, I am certainly not an expert, but I believe that the eastern is by far the most common around here. I have added a couple of photos to my gallery that might help in the ID. Our (around our house) most common snakes are garter and eastern milk snakes (up to 3 1/2 feet). Had 3 baby milk snakes in the garage last fall, so I put them in the woodpile so hopefully they will winter over OK. I did not keep the blue one, it is probably better off in the wild. I saw it twice last year once at the edge of the yard near a swampy brushy area and the second time under the shrubbery next to the house porch. I am hoping it will be back this spring. It is raining today so there are only a few youngsters in the sunroom this morning, when it warms up I'll try to get some good photos to post.

abcat1993 · 03-14-2007, 03:18 PM

Wow, that barely looks like a garter with those wild colors.

03-13-2007, 10:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
stonyloam "Third shed, A Success" Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Western NY Posts: 521 Country:	Blue (eastern) garter snake This is a photo of a wild eastern garter snake that I found last summer at my home in western NY, close to Rochester. It is a real beauty. I have seen hundreds of wild garters over the years, but never one like this.

03-14-2007, 01:59 AM	#2 (permalink)
Cazador Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Alaska, USA Posts: 1,609 Country:	Re: Blue (eastern) garter snake Terry, That's what I'm talking about! I've never seen a captive one like that and wouldn't have guessed that's what you were talking about. What a snake! I'd love to see a hundred more pictures of it, but I realize you caught it years ago. Did you keep it, and was it at all aggressive when you caught it? Rick

03-14-2007, 04:14 AM	#3 (permalink)
Sid Thamnophis Addict Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: South Carolina Posts: 1,650 Country:	Re: Blue (eastern) garter snake Wow that's an unusual color morph for a T. s sirtalis. Gorgous! thanks for sharing the photo. Sid

03-14-2007, 04:25 AM	#4 (permalink)
adamanteus Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cheshire. (Near Manchester). Posts: 8,055 Country:	Re: Blue (eastern) garter snake Fantasic looking snake Terry. Have you kept it? __________________ James.

03-14-2007, 04:32 AM	#5 (permalink)
Snaky "PM Boots For Custom Title" Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,638 Country:	Re: Blue (eastern) garter snake Very nice one. Most be great to find it in the wild

03-14-2007, 06:07 AM	#6 (permalink)
Thamnophis Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Netherlands Posts: 1,313 Country:	Re: Blue (eastern) garter snake Those Eastern garter snakes are very variable. Beautiful animal. __________________ Kousebandslangen.nl - Member of the EGSA It is always advisable to be a loser if you cannot become a winner. Frank Zappa

03-14-2007, 07:12 AM	#7 (permalink)
drache Ophiuchus rhea Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Brooklyn, New York Posts: 4,005 Country:	Re: Blue (eastern) garter snake what a beautiful snake. I love the blue morphs, and the patterning as well as the colour on this one is amazing! btw - can anyone enlighten me, as to the difference between a Florida Blue and a Blue Stripe? I am not at home, where I can look at stuff more easily. I just looked at Scott's sites. He used to separate them into two distinct subspecies and apparently now he doesn't. I thought one was T. sirtalis sirtalis florida and the other T.sirtalis similis. __________________ rhea

03-14-2007, 08:32 AM	#8 (permalink)
GarterGuy Brother Snake Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Lancaster,PA Posts: 1,356 Country:	Re: Blue (eastern) garter snake Hmmmm.....I'm wondering if that's not a Maritime garter (T.s.pallidulus) rather than an Eastern garter (T.s.sirtalis)????? The spotting on the body, lack of a mid-dorsal stripe and just the colour scheme really remind me of pics I've seen of other Maritimes. Either way, very pretty snake. Roy __________________ *Roy* 1.1 T.s.pickeringi 0.1 T.s.concinnus 0.0.2 T.s.pallidulus

03-14-2007, 09:39 AM	#9 (permalink)
stonyloam "Third shed, A Success" Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Western NY Posts: 521 Country:	Re: Blue (eastern) garter snake Thanks everyone! I am glad you liked the photo. As for the ID, I am certainly not an expert, but I believe that the eastern is by far the most common around here. I have added a couple of photos to my gallery that might help in the ID. Our (around our house) most common snakes are garter and eastern milk snakes (up to 3 1/2 feet). Had 3 baby milk snakes in the garage last fall, so I put them in the woodpile so hopefully they will winter over OK. I did not keep the blue one, it is probably better off in the wild. I saw it twice last year once at the edge of the yard near a swampy brushy area and the second time under the shrubbery next to the house porch. I am hoping it will be back this spring. It is raining today so there are only a few youngsters in the sunroom this morning, when it warms up I'll try to get some good photos to post.

03-14-2007, 03:18 PM	#10 (permalink)
abcat1993 Old and wise snake Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: North of Chicago IL, US Posts: 867 Country:	Re: Blue (eastern) garter snake Wow, that barely looks like a garter with those wild colors. __________________ 0.1 Jack Russell Terrier 1.0 rough skinned newt 1.0.0 eastern garter http://www.winnetka36.org/ci/ci_name.htm

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