Types of Garters in BC

Herpguy2004 · 06-08-04, 10:59 PM

it seems that everyday i see another type of garter out here. ive lost count of all the different subspecies around. i was wondering if anyone knows what kinds are out here or am i just seeing morphs a few:P

Vanan · 06-09-04, 10:53 AM

Out your way, you'll probably find T. ordinoides, T. elegans vagrans and T. sirtalis pickeringii. On the mainland you can also find T. s. fitchi.

Removed_2815 · 06-09-04, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Herpguy2004
it seems that everyday i see another type of garter out here. ive lost count of all the different subspecies around. i was wondering if anyone knows what kinds are out here or am i just seeing morphs a few:P

Don't forget that there is a lot of phenotypic variation in any species. This is especially true with Thamnophis. What might appear to be to separate subspecies are usually, in fact, of the same subspecies. This is why scale-counts/rows are used to discriminate between species.
Cheers,
R

Vanan · 06-09-04, 12:34 PM

Oh yea, them T. ordinoides. Watch out for those. Pretty variable, especially the island forms.