what kind of snake is this - Page 2

tai_pan1 · 10-01-03, 10:04 AM

Well, unless they moved Florida to the western half of the USA, you have just proven yourself wrong. Last time I checked, Orlando was in Florida, and Florida was on the east coast. How you can definitively state the kind of snake it is from one somewhat obscure photo is beyond me. As for your proof, I doubt you have any, and obviously I don't care if your happy.

Pyrol2 asked a question, people gave their thoughts. Some even gave ways to tell if the snake pictured is the one they think it is. I specifically mentioned to look at the scale rows on the side stripes. Eastern Garters are the only garter with the side stripe restricted to scale rows 2 and 3. Until you offer others viable information that they can use to correctly identify the snake, perhaps you should keep your drivel to yourself.

ChokeOnSmoke · 10-01-03, 10:46 AM

Hey all I'm from Thunder Bay Ontario and I believe our only native snake is the eastern garter and I have never seen one that looked like that. They have less checkers and resemble a ribbon snake a fair amount.

KingFfaj · 10-01-03, 10:51 AM

ok firstly that herp information is correct.
sorry people I got the geography bit wrong-Badly, in fact I know where Fl is I just wasnt thinkng properly and got my mental compass upside down, in that case it is probably the eastern (also highly variable) and again sorry for the bad post.
taipan1- no need to get offensive but wtf man, location is the only way to identify a garter properly as they can all look similar, and almost all can have a side line that is only 3 scales wide (if thats what you ment) what do you mean, "scale row"? do you mean width of the band, or distance from the ventral scales?

Katt · 10-01-03, 11:34 AM

Sorry KingFfaj, if you knew what "scale row" meant, then you'd know there are definitive ways to identify a garter, regardless of geography.

Scale row in terms of garters is on what row counting from the ventrals the lateral stripe is on. It can differentiate from species to species.

To tell if it was a checkered, look at the neck, do you see a clear definited yellow crescent at the edge of the mouth?

KingFfaj · 10-01-03, 12:10 PM

ok thanx for setting me straight there

tai_pan1 · 10-01-03, 01:52 PM

Thanks Katt, you explained it much better than I would have. As for telling a garter by "looks", that can be very tricky. I have an eastern that looks just like the one in the picture, and I have an eastern that looks nothing like the one in the picture. I know that the only definitive way to ID an eastern is by which scale rows the stripe is on. Thanks for explaining clearly what I did not.

Mike