I was told that the ribbonsnake I have is an Eastern Ribbonsnake, however the photos I've seen of this species are generally brown with yellow striping, whereas my ribbonsnake is dull green with yellow striping and a "dot" of yellow on his head.
There's another species, the Arid Land Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis proximus diobolicus) that seems to resemble my snake rather closely. Is this species common in the pet trade?
Then there's the Penninsula Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis sauritus sackenii) that seems to resemble my snake as well, but is darker in color.
What are some features of the snake I could look for to help make a determination of his species? Scale differences? Markings to look for? I've checked for the black markings around the mouth (there weren't any), just to make sure it wasn't a garter snake. He also has a narrower head and his tail is rather long. So I'm sure that he is a ribbonsnake of some kind.
