T.s. parietalis Coloring: Whats the Norm and whats Not

[Stefan-A]

Some subspecies names are named after the person who first described them to science.

That would be a big no-no among scientists. When they do carry a person's name, they're usually named in honor of another scientist. For example, Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi was named after the herpetologist Henry Sheldon Fitch, by the herpetologist Wade Fox. They are sometimes named after the people who discovered them, but it is the guy who describes them to science who names them.

I'd also like to point out one thing about common names. They're normally given by the locals. In the case of the red-sided garter, it may well have been given to distinguish it from the other local non-red-sided garters.