New garter - I just couldn't help myself

[chris-uk]

I went out to play a game of hockey today, it was an away game so an hour and a half up the road. The trouble was I'd been told about an aquatic shop nearby, which had a good reptile room.

After checking out the boas, the pythons, bypassing the corns, checking out a breeding pair of Florida pine snakes (quite a pretty pair), I finally found a viv labelled "Northern Garter Snakes" (feel free to jump in now Greg. Apparently there's a supplier going around selling this previously unknown species) which after questioning the staff I determined were T. sirtalis.
I couldn't help myself, and justify it on the grounds that Vlad needs a viv mate. So I've picked out one that looks like it's a male. I was actually quite impressed, they had five and they have to be from the 2010 breeding season (it seems to be too much to ask for even good shops over here to have any information about the snakes they are selling). They at least told me that the garters were feeding on pinkies and worms.

So we have a new garter, I've named him Nobby (after Corporal Nobby Nobbs of the Ankh Morpork City Watch). When he's done his time in quarantine he can be company for Vlad. And I can look for a female radix as a viv mate for Lacrimosa.
I think he is a T. s. sirtalis, it's evening and the light isn't good enough for decent pics, but he looks like the pictures I've seen of Easterns.

[guidofatherof5]

Niiiiice.

[EasternGirl]

Well of course I will say...an eastern! Well done! I look forward to pics! Congrats on the new addition.

[chris-uk]

So I lied about light being bad for photos. Here's a couple, so Marnie (being one of the forum's Eastern queens) confirm that this is an Eastern (bearing in mind they were labelled as "Northern")...
And the second pic is hopefully good enough to garner some opinions on our new snake's vent.

IMAG0203.jpg

IMAG0200.jpg

Oh, and it is 64g and about 65-70cm long, not sure how that compares to other people's Easterns. Does the size of him tie in with my guess that he's about 18 months old?

[PINJOHN]

So I lied about light being bad for photos. Here's a couple, so Marnie (being one of the forum's Eastern queens) confirm that this is an Eastern (bearing in mind they were labelled as "Northern")...
And the second pic is hopefully good enough to garner some opinions on our new snake's vent.

IMAG0203.jpg

IMAG0200.jpg

Oh, and it is 64g and about 65-70cm long, not sure how that compares to other people's Easterns. Does the size of him tie in with my guess that he's about 18 months old?

I would say parietalis

[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.

[guidofatherof5]

That's a good looking girl you've got there Chris.

[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

[chris-uk]

That's a good looking girl you've got there Chris.

No? The tail stays wide doesn't it? If this one is female, then every one they had in the shop was female, some of the others even more obviously. It's a good looking garter either way.

[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