Help ID please

[stonyloam]

"P.S. Just a word of caution... I'd strongly encourage you never to release this snake in New York, particularly if it turns out to be a radix."

Because it would not survive? It is in Missouri and will probably stay there.

[Cazador]

"P.S. Just a word of caution... I'd strongly encourage you never to release this snake in New York, particularly if it turns out to be a radix."

Because it would not survive? It is in Missouri and will probably stay there.

Nah. It would probably survive just fine in New York. That's the problem, though. It's not native to New York, so you don't know if it would outcompete and displace the local species or worse yet, if it would hybridize and potentially reduce the fitness of offspring. It's the whole "invasive species" issue.

Rick

[stonyloam]

Oh OK! Invasive species can be a real problem. We have zebra mussels, spiny water fleas and round gobies infesting our waters (most came in ballast water from foreign ships coming into the great lakes). We also have a problem with wood beetles from Asia (from wooden packing crates) and are not allowed to transport firewood out of some parts of the state. We even had an outbreak of chronic wasting disease in deer (now under control) that came in on taxidermy materials from out west. We are lucky compared to some states like Florida (snakes, iguanas, fish birds etc.). Besides I would not want to disrupt my little genetic pool of stripeless, green, brown, blue, maybe maritime garters.

[ssssnakeluvr]

From the area it was found in, it's probably an eastern, t sirtalis sirtalis, possibly a red sided, t sirtalis parietalis, as they are found in missouri also. I have known red siders from Kansas to be lacking in red coloration......