Puget Sound Garter Snakes

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Casey Lazik
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Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by Casey Lazik »

I haven't had the chance to get out this year but I have run into some local herps. Northwestern Garters (Thamnophis ordinoides) are the most common snake species where I live (NE of Seattle).
About 1 in 30 Thamnophis encountered near my home are Puget Sound Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii). Here, they vary quite a bit. Some individuals are brilliant blue and black, others are more greenish and black, while other examples have red, blue or white markings between the scales. They also attain a larger maximum size than the Northwestern. I've seen a few females reach three feet in length. At this size they are quite stocky. In protected areas away from urban development and traffic, one might find the odd female exceeding this size.

Yesterday was unusually cool and wet for an August day in the Northwest. This is the time of the year when you can usually count on a sunny day but it is Seattle after all and we had drizzle and rain throughout the day. With temps in the 60's, the snakes were out, despite the wet conditions.

My photography skills are underdeveloped, to say the least. This was an exceptionally brilliant blue Puget Sound Garter Snake.

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You've read before the photo does not do the snake justice. That's the story here.

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Nearby was another female. Not quite as blue but with some interesting spots between her stripes. She is also obviously carrying some babies.

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A bit closer view.
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Back in June, I came across a large adult female that was run over in our neighborhood. I was sick.
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This was a three foot female with a fair amount of red with sky blue stripes.
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I don't like seeing DOR pics either but sadly, this is a very common sight around here.

That's all I have for now. I thought it was about time I stopped lurking and contributed something.

Casey
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M Wolverton
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by M Wolverton »

Cool.

I see garter snakes all the time just while working around here. I seldom see Puget Sound garter snakes. I saw one last week on northern Whidbey Island, and it was the first I have seen in a number of years.
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Casey Lazik
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by Casey Lazik »

I used to see the "melanistic" Wandering garters (Thamnophis elegans vagrans) in a few localities in Lake Forest Park in the 1970's. I haven't seen one of those in decades, although I haven't really spent much time looking in the converted habitat which is now a neighborhood. :(
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David Hardesty
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by David Hardesty »

Thanks for sharing pics of these snakes. I have never seen these and need to get up to the Puget sound area one day to do some herping.
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Joshua Wallace
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by Joshua Wallace »

Very pretty snakes. I love the pugets. I saw about 50 of those guys yesterday :). You guys should see the diversity in color that I get down here at my study sites in south Thurston county. Its amazing
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Casey Lazik
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by Casey Lazik »

Hi Josh. Let's see some pics! :)

Casey
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Joshua Wallace
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by Joshua Wallace »

I don't really have any good pics of Pugets from here. I will take some pics next week when I go out. Including my favorite ones which have gold to close to orange dorsal stripes.
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FunkyRes
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by FunkyRes »

I've posted before, but that was before the crash.
Here are a couple puget's I found in kitsap county

Specimen 1 - an old, lethargic specimen. I suspect old because it looked old and like it needed a meal, and Rana aurora around:

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Specimen 2 - a female, recently fed (sexed by probing)

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Both specimens, the lateral spots were red, making me initially think they had either red-spotted or valley influence, but I have since been told that "pure" puget's can have red or blue lateral spotting and that these appeared to be "pure".

-=-

btw - those two of mine seem to be the only two in the naherp database, it would be nice for some more to be documented there (hint hint)
imaherpe
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by imaherpe »

where were you at? I live in Kent. I've encountered millions of northwestern garter snakes and occasionally a western terrestrial garter snake but I've yet to see a puget sound garter snake.. They are beautiful animals.
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jonathan
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by jonathan »

You guys have some beautiful sirtalis up there.
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M Wolverton
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by M Wolverton »

imaherpe

We are going have a group herping event this Spring in the Columbia Gorge area. You should join the group if you can.
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AJherps
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by AJherps »

cool, I find Puget sound garters up in BC too!
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intermedius
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by intermedius »

An amazing snake. I love Puget's, and they look beautiful.

Justin
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Ross Padilla
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by Ross Padilla »

Wow, the blue on those garters is really pretty against the black.
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concinnusman
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by concinnusman »

Some T. s. pickeringii from Lewis Co. WA

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concinnusman
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by concinnusman »

These snakes do vary quite a bit in any given location. Some having red spotting, heavy to light, some have bars or spotting the same color as their stripes, others are just black with well defined yellow or yellow green stripes on a clean background.

It's just polymorphism. I've seen all types in a single litter.
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jonathan
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by jonathan »

So the garters I saw on a small island between Vancouver Island and the mainland are Puget Sounds? I was disappointed because they looked so typical for red-spotted in the yellow strip and red spots. I did only see two though, both in the same place.

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Chad M. Lane
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by Chad M. Lane »

Beautiful snakes! I need to make it up that way for them.

Note: On that DOR, not saying it wasn't blue but when Garters die they often turn blue I've noted it, in T. s. fitchi, T. e. terrestris, and T. elegans elegans.


Cheers,
Chad
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Brian Hubbs
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Re: Puget Sound Garter Snakes

Post by Brian Hubbs »

Ajax turns blue too! :lol:

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