Yeah, we have a melanistic (possibly male or young female) here... It lives in the field. Seen it twice, but both times I couldn't catch it. Always pops up in the blackberry bushes. My little Derpy is dull black with a fading stripe. He's an oddity in his own right. Mostly mentally

Also, Snakey (rest his little soul) was black, light lipped with tan side stripes. The spotting could be that it was an ery. I believe Ashley's baby, Cuddles, has orangey spots on him. My favourite garter from when I was a kid was a fitchii... I was 4 almost 5 and a worker brought me a black garter, had very little red spotting with a yellow upper lip area with a little tiny bit of orange at the tip of its nose... Around here, unless you catch the elusive blue northwestern... It's the most colourful snake you'll ever see.