#thamnophis

California Red-sided Garternsnake (Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis), family Colubridae, Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary, CA, USA

Red-sided Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis), family Colubridae, Manitoba, Canada

A) normal phase (86%) B) hypermelanistic (12%) C) melanistic (2%)

These snakes were all found within a polymorphic (multiple color types) population at a den site in Manitoba, Canada. Normally, den sites are just one of these color morphs. The non-standard morphs are usually known from islands and other fragmented populations, but not usually found in these numbers from populations like this, with genetic in flow.

Red-sided Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis), in a breeding aggregation after emerging from their winter den, family Colubridae, Manitoba, Canada

Here‘s a rundown of the ones Ive seen and the ones I haven’t, in order of pictures.

T. Hammondii:(two striped) have Seen!! Plenty. Mainly the melanistic morphs lacking stripes as pictured , but I’ve seen some 4-5 odd ‚normal‘ morph ones further south. Their stripes (when they do have them) are on their sides, not back. Fairly aquatic lifestyle

T. Sirtalis: (Valley, SF, red sided) I’ve seen one!! of 3(or4) subspecies in CA, the Valley ones! Both in the sierras and on the coast. They have red checkers on their sides. Red sideds have a red head accompanying potentially bigger checkers. San Francisco ones are the super flashy ones with teal and red stripes everyone likes to super saturate their photos of. Similarly aquatic

T. Atratus: (aquatic garter(Santa Cruz, Diablo Range, Oregon)) I have only ever seen Diablo range ones. Very aquatic lifestyle (as name implies). In areas where coast garters are darker may take a keen eye to differentiate. They have similar morphology to the former two, and often have a wider more striking dorsal stripe. Elegans have a bigger lip scale right behind the eye and even chin guards(underneath the head).

T.elegans:(mountain, coast, wandering) I have found almost all, but all ones with mountain garter blood I’ve seen have been integrades(mutts) with wanderings. No coast garters pictured as they are so common a find for me I seem to have forsaken the task of taking any passable pictures. Most terrestrial lifestyle (another name for them is terrestrial garter snake, so one would already assume)

T.sierrae: Ive Seen a few! Visibly very similar to two striped, but do not overlap in range to my knowledge. I even hear of population that have a dorsal stripe. Mainly aquatic lifestyle but I’ve found them like a half mile from the nearest proper stream so it just depends on where you are.(don’t mind the tail injury, it was quite fine otherwise)

Ones I’ve either not found or have no photos of:

T. marcianus: (checkered garters) I saw a baby in Arizona, but only took a blurry video. And I don’t know if it was the same subspecies as the kind in CA.

T. ordinoides: (northwestern) they sometimes have a red dorsal stripe!! My family went on a trip without me (I had obligations at home) and saw them. I did not.

T. Gigas : (Giant gartersnake) big!!!! Very protected animal. I wish to see one, one day. I am happy they can eat the invasive bullfrogs, which eat anything and everything smaller than them and decimate ecosystems statewide.

Eastern Garter Snakes (Thamnophis s. sirtalis), family Colubridae, basking on a tree stump in Lancaster County, PA, USA

California Red-sided Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis), family Colubridae, Marin County, CA, USA

Checkered Gartersnake (Thamnophis marcianus), family Colubridae, South TX, USA