Possible Hybrid Wandering Gartersnake

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Brian Eagar
Posts: 430
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:59 pm

Possible Hybrid Wandering Gartersnake

Post by Brian Eagar »

My friends Gavin and Jamison found this cool gartersnake in Utah this week.
Imagethamnophis elegans- sirtalis hybrid_10-20-2014_175041 by brianeagar, on Flickr

Imagethamnophis elegans- sirtalis hybrid_10-20-2014_180020 by brianeagar, on Flickr

I believe this to be a hybrid between a Valley Garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi) and a wandering garter snake (Thamnophis elegans vagrans).
I base this assessment on the overall body pattern and coloration of the wandering garter but the head being extremely weird in at least four ways:
1. It has 7 upper labials instead of 8.
2. The red band on its head which is a head coloration I've never seen or heard of in T.elegans vagrans.
3. The mutant lack of coloration on the nose.
4. The bigger than usual eyes.


Plus, this animal was found near an area where both sirtalis and elegans den and breed. It is common to see both species breeding right next to each other and sometimes even wrapped up together in the same ball of snakes. (Though copulation han't been witnessed).

It is also interesting to note that throughout Utah where both sirtalis and elegans den, that the majority of elegans have much cleaner unbroken dorsal stripes and cleaner spotting than is usually seen in elegans where sirtalis don't exist.

Here are a couple of pattern variation shots showing the variety in T.elegans vagrans and contrasted with T.sirtalis fitchi:

ImageUtah_gartersnake_variation_10-20-2014_183220 by brianeagar, on Flickr

ImageUtah Gartersnake Variety_10-20-2014_174635 by brianeagar, on Flickr

ImageUtah Gartersnake Variety_10-20-2014_174337 by brianeagar, on Flickr
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Jeremy Westerman
Posts: 634
Joined: October 12th, 2010, 11:05 am
Location: Utah
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Re: Possible Hybrid Wandering Gartersnake

Post by Jeremy Westerman »

While the red head band and abnormal white rostrum is stunning, what I can't get over is the bizarrely huge eyes, almost makes it look like an elaphid or something. Wow crazy snake. I have seen plenty of dens where both are together but never seen anything that I suspected might be a T. sirtalis fitchi X T. elegans vagrans hybrid. I have seen some melanistic individuals that were impossible to accurately tell in the field which species they were and a few pale individuals that may have been hypomelanistic.

What color are the ventral scales? As the body looks like mostly wandering pattern, it would be a trip if it had the Valley garter turquoise blue green belly.
ThomWild
Posts: 352
Joined: June 11th, 2010, 10:42 am
Location: Utah

Re: Possible Hybrid Wandering Gartersnake

Post by ThomWild »

I don't find anything unusual about the eyes other than the color. Size looks normal for a very young garter.

Brian have you talked to anyone about the genetic work for this individual?

-Thomas
Brian Eagar
Posts: 430
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:59 pm

Re: Possible Hybrid Wandering Gartersnake

Post by Brian Eagar »

Thanks for the comments guys.
Jeremy the belly is mostly black.

Thomas, Bryan Hamilton was going to check whether he knew anyone who might be able to do work on it.
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