The quote I posted was from an email from Sjoerd (CrazyReptiles) who has been breeding T. cyrtopsis cyrtopsis for several years. I don't think this pattern is typical of all garter species, my blacknecks are the only ones that follow it.

The snap brumation stuff was in a thread that Fons posted about one of his tetrataenia. I'm on my way out else I'd have a quick search for it.