New garter - I just couldn't help myself

[chris-uk]

Really? Parietalis? There's no red at all, or do parietalis not always have red sides? Although one of the others in the shop did have flecks of red, I didn't pick that one out because I'm pretty sure that one was female.

[PINJOHN]

Really? Parietalis? There's no red at all, or do parietalis not always have red sides? Although one of the others in the shop did have flecks of red, I didn't pick that one out because I'm pretty sure that one was female.

no absolutes with garters but you do get lots of parietalis with little or no red, i have always had the impression that the further north you go the less red seem to present itself, there are obviously many exceptions but i have always believed this rule of thumb......besides wait till you get a good meal inside him and i am pretty sure you will start to see some red

[PINJOHN]

just a comment about his sharing quarters with your captive bred snakes its not something i would do with a wild caught even after quarantine

[chris-uk]

just a comment about his sharing quarters with your captive bred snakes its not something i would do with a wild caught even after quarantine

Not sure it is WC. But then again I don't know it's CB.

@steve - to be honest, I was picking them out one at a time and looking at the first few I was sure they were female, got to this one and was less certain, checked a couple more and thought they were less likely to be male. So this one was the one I thought looked most male. That doesn't mean it is. Maybe I should have let the guy in the shop probe it, but I read so much online about probed snakes being incorrectly ID'ed, and I don't like the risk of a probing injury.

[PINJOHN]

Not sure it is WC. But then again I don't know it's CB.

@steve - to be honest, I was picking them out one at a time and looking at the first few I was sure they were female, got to this one and was less certain, checked a couple more and thought they were less likely to be male. So this one was the one I thought looked most male. That doesn't mean it is. Maybe I should have let the guy in the shop probe it, but I read so much online about probed snakes being incorrectly ID'ed, and I don't like the risk of a probing injury.

Chris i am pretty certain it is wild caught they have been coming through for several years now and the wholesaler has been pushing them as northern garters, which is rarely contested by the owners of the pet shops ....there are eastern and western so why not northen seem to be the logic i have got some myself as i think its important to get some new blood before it's no longer possible.