Originally Posted by
qmsdc15
I've never seen a garter snake with a red stripe. I think that might be a coral snake you're holding there!
The image is of Thamnophis Proximus Rubrilineatus which is commonly called the Red Striped Ribbon Snake and is a species of garter snake native to Texas.
Up here we have the red sided garter snake which is rather beautiful and a little aggressive and the plains garter which actually has a mellower disposition and will rarely strike.
Red Sided Garter
This has nothing to do with night riding but seeing the red sided garters is one of the joys of going on those early morning rides in the country... in my youth seeing garter snakes was pretty common, even in urban settings, but habitat loss (they are water loving snakes) and pollution seems to have impacted their populations as it has really impacted the population of their favourite foods which are tadpoles and frogs.
I so need to get out into the woods... mebbe I will find some snakes there.
