I found an albino.

[ConcinusMan]

The snake is definitely a T positive. If it's a native from Kent, WA there's only one of three snakes it could be. T. ordinoides, T. sirtalis pickeringi or T. elegans vagrans. Scale counts should clear it up.

A T positive albino ordinoides has never been found (they've all been T negative) so it's not very likely a northwestern. An albino (of any type) T. sirtalis (concinnus or pickeringi) has never been confirmed in the northwest so it's also not likely a Puget sound garter. If it was, it would be the first albino ever found. However, numerous T positive wandering garters have been found so that's where I would put my money. It's probably a wandering. Again, scale counts and head scale shapes would tell you which of the three it is. They are all three different on their scaling but I'm betting on T. elegans vagrans since many T positive ones have been found.

I can't really tell from those pictures. The only head shots are too blurry and the ones that aren't blurry, cut off the head. If it's a T. ordinoides, you have the first and only T positive one ever found, that I'm aware of.

No matter what it is, it's spectacular and finding it goes way beyond lucky. You'd have better luck hitting a 2 inch target with a snub nose .38 from a mile away. Finding a single needle in an entire field full of haystacks perhaps? Well, you get the point. The odds aren't good at all.

[ConcinusMan]

T positive albino wandering garter:

[katach]

What a lovely little fella!!

[ssssnakeluvr]

Hey Richard.... I saw years ago on the original thamnophis.com a pic of an albino concinnus.... it was a long time ago and no one knows what happened to it. was a cool looking snake. as far as this one...I am leaning towards ordinoides due to the pattern...haven't seen patterns like that on wanderings...

[ConcinusMan]

Hey Richard.... I saw years ago on the original thamnophis.com a pic of an albino concinnus.... it was a long time ago and no one knows what happened to it.

Yeah, I know. You told me that before but I'm extremely skeptical. I still don't believe that albino concinnus' have ever been found in the wild, and you're probably already aware of the mislabeling problem in the hobby. I've seen plenty of snakes called concinnus' that were anything but. I've talked to Dr. Robert Mason (professor of zoology, OSU) about that and there are no records of any ever being found for concinnus or pickeringi. Plenty of records for T negative northwesterns and T. e. vagrans though, both confirmed and recorded and well, we have plenty of pics of those available.

haven't seen patterns like that on wanderings...

They're a bit different here in WA compared to UT snakes. The pattern wouldn't be all that unusual for a WA wandering. Some have nothing more than rows of tiny specks, or no rows of spots at all. The pattern isn't a very compelling argument for me, but that small head...

We need scale counts! We need clear, closeups of the head showing scale patterning and detail.

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

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[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

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Hey Richard.... I saw years ago on the original thamnophis.com a pic of an albino concinnus.... it was a long time ago and no one knows what happened to it. was a cool looking snake. as far as this one...I am leaning towards ordinoides due to the pattern...haven't seen patterns like that on wanderings...

That is the same pattern my little wandering girl has. She is not albino though, just regular

[ConcinusMan]

Well, I'm looking at the rows of dots on the snake in question and keep thinking "wandering" but that small head, not offset from the body... that's a northwestern trait. Hard to tell at this point. If someone would just do the scale count we could confirm or rule out northwestern.

If that's a T positive northwestern, that's one of a kind. Never before found that I'm aware of.

[ssssnakeluvr]

yea...just waiting.... =) would be cool to be a t+ albino.... these types of things have to show up every now and then =) just wish something like that would pop up where I am!!!

[kibakiba]

Wanderings look a lot like northwesterns here. I had one that was tan with little black spots, the way NWs look.