I tend to think of the term "common garter snake" to apply to any garter snake. I don't take it as a name for any particular garter snake. I take it as a descriptive term. No matter where you live, if there are garter snakes, and they are common, well... 'nuff said.

To me, easterns are just that. Eastern garter snakes. Common garter snake is just a laymans term for those that recognize a snake as a garter snake but don't really go any further with the ID. That's why latin names are so important.

kibakiba, for sure, your snakes are a species that is the most common around that location you mentioned. Sound's reasonable to call it a "common garter snake". However, for the purpose of clarification you should refer to them as "Northwestern Garter Snake" or Thamnophis ordinoides. It's actually not necessary to spell out the first name since all garter snakes are Thamnophis. "T. ordinoides" or just "ordinoides" or "northwestern garter" will do just fine, and everyone here will know what snake you're talking about.

Quote Originally Posted by kibakiba View Post
Yeah that's what I meant by assume :P

Common Garters here are the typical black with 2 tan side stripes and 1 stripe on the top that's either red or white, and I've seen a few with a light blue one.
I think it's really cool that you recognize those details and share them with us. When I was first learning about garter snakes, I had seen very few first hand and thought that all garter snakes were black with light yellow stripes. Those were northwestern garters in my neighborhood. I think you'll find out, as you travel around and see them in different places, one form or another is more common within a population of snakes. Just 2 or 5 miles away in a different northwestern garter population, they could mostly be tan with white stripes. Or mostly brown with white or yellow, but there's always some variation even in the same area, and you have seen that. Good observation.

So now, if you're still in the place where you found those northwestern garters, get yourself out to a pond, lake, or wetland and you might find a T.s. fitchii. (Thamnophis sirtalis fitchii, or Valley garter snake) It will be fast and colorful with red spots on it's side. They should be in that area. Or not.