Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
Moderator: Scott Waters
- Fieldnotes
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Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
Anyone know what this snake is? Location will be kept secret for now, so not to cause bias
Re: Mystery Snake
Some wandering garter snakes (T. e. vagrans) look an awful lot like that. It's an extremely variable snake though. And some other snakes come in earth tones, have blotches, etc...ha ha.
What's the context?
cheers
What's the context?
cheers
- Fieldnotes
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Re: Mystery Snake
I'm thinking its a checker-patterened Eastern Garter Snake. Lets give it another day or so for others to guess, then I'll post the3 location, which will only make this mystery snake harder to identify.
- Jeremy Wright
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Re: Mystery Snake
It looks like some of the Two Stripe / Hammonds Garter snakes I've seen if this sighting was in Socal...
Re: Mystery Snake
Yeah its a checkery guy. Natrix mostly dabbed in a distal way but the blade of grass covering the neck made me think hmm
- Brian Hubbs
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Re: Mystery Snake
Eastern Garter
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Re: Mystery Snake
This snake is from a residential neighborhood in San Diego.
Jeremey could you posts those Two-stripe Garters snakes, espically if they have a middorsal stripe, like this one seems to have descending down the lateral portion of the body.
Jeremey could you posts those Two-stripe Garters snakes, espically if they have a middorsal stripe, like this one seems to have descending down the lateral portion of the body.
Re: Mystery Snake
I've seen nearly identical checker patterned eastern Garter Snakes in central and south NJ. Not often, but every now and then.
- Jeremy Wright
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Re: Mystery Snake
Sure! I'll have to dig back a while, it's been a few years, but I'll be happy to post them on here or pm them to you.Fieldnotes wrote:This snake is from a residential neighborhood in San Diego.
Jeremey could you posts those Two-stripe Garters snakes, espically if they have a middorsal stripe, like this one seems to have descending down the lateral portion of the body.
-Jeremy
- Jeremy Wright
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Re: Mystery Snake
I'm not sure I have any with a middorsal stripe, but the pattern and color is similar. I'll get them up asap.
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Re: Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
Eimen, I agree it looks a lot like a Wandering Garter
- Brian Hubbs
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Re: Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
It's a terrible picture...that's what it is...
Re: Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
No excuse for the limb I fell off of though
- Jeremy Wright
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Re: Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
strange by Jeremy Wright Photography, on Flickr
Apologies for the terrible photo, but here is a Hammonds garter I saw with a friend years ago in the San Gabriels. All I had was a cell phone, and I know this photo doesn't show it well, but I do remember it having a very checkered pattern. I'm still looking for other shots I have of other individuals.
-Jeremy
Apologies for the terrible photo, but here is a Hammonds garter I saw with a friend years ago in the San Gabriels. All I had was a cell phone, and I know this photo doesn't show it well, but I do remember it having a very checkered pattern. I'm still looking for other shots I have of other individuals.
-Jeremy
- Jeremy Wright
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Re: Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
That photo also has a bit of blue distortion. The snake was more brown and yellow, not so much black and blue.
- SurfinHerp
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Re: Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
I think the mystery snake is just a nice-looking two-striped gartersnake.
It also appears that the cat may have dragged it out of a nearby canyon and back to its home with a grassy lawn. That wouldn't be too surprising to me.
Jeff
It also appears that the cat may have dragged it out of a nearby canyon and back to its home with a grassy lawn. That wouldn't be too surprising to me.
Jeff
Re: Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
Agreed, now that we know it's in San Diego. Could have been a lot of things. Most of those things fall far away in likelihood, now there's some geographical context. Not likely a Natrix, a Rhabdophis, etc. Could still be an escaped pet garter from somewhere - near or far - east of SD. That isn't too unlikely. But I think native is more probable.I think the mystery snake is just a nice-looking two-striped gartersnake.
It could be interesting, regardless, to know more precisely where the snake was taken. (And, is the corpse available for museum deposition?) My impression is that 2-stripes aren't exactly booming within the human footprint, the more so the further west one goes. Did it come from nearby one of the bigger, more-eastern preserves like Mission Trails or the "new" FWS Refuge along the Sweetwater?
Looks like the coyotes are slacking on the job...
- Brian Hubbs
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Re: Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
Well, just to be a contrary person, I do NOT think that's a two-stripe. I've never seen a blotched two-stripe in SD or anywhere near SD. I still say it's an Eastern garter that escaped from someone. And i don't think we can really pinpoint what it is by that photo.
THIS is what SD 2-stripes look like...
THIS is what SD 2-stripes look like...
Re: Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
Looks like a cat snake
Re: Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
Checkered Gartersnake, a bit out of it's range, but a heck of a lot closer than a wandering. It could, but I've yet to see one with a dorsal stripe, be a Two-Striped.
I've seen hundreds of Eastern Garter's and that ain't no Eastern.
I've seen hundreds of Eastern Garter's and that ain't no Eastern.
Re: Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
Well within it's range. Wandering Garter's do exist in BC.
- SurfinHerp
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Re: Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
Checkered Eastern Garter Snakes are regularly encountered (mid-Atlantic states) in this area. I know what I've seen. www.paherps.com/herps/snakes/garter_snake/
Re: Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
San diego phase mountain garter snake!
- Brian Hubbs
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Re: Mystery Snake from urban San Diego County
My votes Eastern Garter, escaped pet.