Quote:
Originally Posted by Allison
It's a Terrestrial. The Checkered garters are mostly found in central and southern Az and I am far north.
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If you go to the garter snake forum I think most will tell you that it is a wandering garter (Thamnophis elegans vagrans) rather than a terrestrial. I think (but not sure) most of them refer to Thamnophis elegans terrestris (which technically does not exist anymore) as the terrestrial.
There have been some changes to recognized subspecies in Thamnophis elegans somewhat recently - so that adds to the confusion and disagreement on what is or isn't a "terrestrial garter" (it seems some of them are reluctant to change)
It seems that Thamnophis elegans went from
many subspecies (6 that i could find)
(1. Thamnophis elegans elegans 2. Thamnophis elegans arizonae 3. Thamnophis elegans hueyi 4. Thamnophis elegans terrestris 5. Thamnophis elegans vagrans 6. Thamnophis elegans vascotanneri)
to officially 2 subspecies
(1. T. e. elegans 2. T. e. vagrans)