Found an EPIC garter snake (pics included!)

Here are 2 more pics, do her scales look damaged or is that normal for wild snakes?

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/6717/k0vn.jpg

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/2846/dwqy.jpg

If I interact with wildlife and get bitten, it is my own fault! :) I will love snakes till the day I die... she had no idea that I was protecting her from a pack of dogs (some of which have killed smaller snakes)

I released her into the woodsy area so she could hide herself, and also have to admit that I REALLY wanted to hold her if I could because I have never seen such a large snake in the wild.

Thanks for getting her out of harms way! I found a very yellow looking garter snake when I was hiking in Virginia. It was completely "friendly" for a wild snake. It was chilly that day so I think it enjoyed my body warmth. (At least I assumed it was a garter... Pretty sure.)

[IMG]http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...ps42574dbc.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...ps7066dc2c.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...ps2f7467df.jpg[/IMG]

that's a beautiful snake Tavers! The garter snake settled down enough for me to wait until I could snap a picture of her tongue, lol. So She wasn't trying hard to get away once she settled in my hands, even though I'm sure she was glad when I let her go

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tavers

Thanks for getting her out of harms way! I found a very yellow looking garter snake when I was hiking in Virginia. It was completely "friendly" for a wild snake. It was chilly that day so I think it enjoyed my body warmth. (At least I assumed it was a garter... Pretty sure.)

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That would be enough for me not to pick it up, I'm really terrible at IDing our wild snakes here in PA. My grandfather is really good at it though. I had a bad experience with a copper head when I was younger.

Me and my cousin was 5 years old and picking up a copper head in my drive way taking turns and then it tried to bite so we got out our lil wiffle ball bats and killed it. Ran over into the house to get my Mom she came out called my grandpap, he came up with a pitch fork and tossed it down the hill. He told my mom what kind of snake it was and that we was lucky. She then terrified me of snakes until about 7 years ago, when my wife introduced them back into my life.

It actually still amazes me to this day how me and him both 5 picking up this snake improperly didnt get bit by it. :gj:

Both of those garters are gorgeous. My wife is in love with all of the garters she has, but the yellow one (from the second poster) is amazing. It seems to be a different morph, and the first one from the OP may have been gravid.