Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Still kinda cold up here in Wisconsin, but I managed to find an armload of gartersnakes today, including some T. butleri. The Butler's gartersnake. Sworn enemy of developers in southeast Wisconsin. This guy is from Ozaukee County.

I found so many common gartersnakes my hands will probably smell like musk for a week. This was the nicest one. He had some red on the sides, which is something I don't see around here much. The photo doesn't quite bring it out unfortunately. He was just starting to turn blue to boot.

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Tim

Interesting photos and info, Tim. Actually, May 5th is pretty early, I think, for Butler's coming out. I was in c. OH week and a half ago and didn't see any at the site. Here in n.e. MI they don't usually come out until third week of May. I'm going down to s.e. MI this coming weekend and hope to find some at some historical sites.

Your Butler's could possibly be hybridizing with the Plains garter in certain locations. Probably not much chance of hibridizing with the common garter. If you see the Plains and Butler's in the same local, could you get photos of those? Thanks. Several researchers are looking into this possibility and I am trying to help with new locales.

Thanks for the emergence info and look forward to anything else you put up. Talk more later...

TC

>>Still kinda cold up here in Wisconsin, but I managed to find an armload of gartersnakes today, including some T. butleri. The Butler's gartersnake. Sworn enemy of developers in southeast Wisconsin. This guy is from Ozaukee County.
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>>I found so many common gartersnakes my hands will probably smell like musk for a week. This was the nicest one. He had some red on the sides, which is something I don't see around here much. The photo doesn't quite bring it out unfortunately. He was just starting to turn blue to boot.
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>>Tim

You are correct about the T. butleri x T. radix hybridization issue. Specimens from Racine, Kenosha, southern Milwaukee and southern Waukesha counties are generally considered to be either T. radix or hybrids. I don't believe the experts consider any T. butleri from those areas to be "pure". The Butler's gartersnakes I found yesterday were from Ozaukee County, which is well outside of the know hybridization zone.

I agree also that it is a bit early for T. butleri, but the ones I found were all juveniles. My experience has been that juveniles show up before the adults. They were all found in silt fence immediately adjacent to prime over-wintering areas.
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Tim

Thanks, Tim.

I'll be heading south to Oakland, Macomb, and other counties in s.e. MI this weekend. Hopefully the warmer weather we're starting to get will bring the snakes out. I've been seeing Eastern garters since March 25th, and in the last couple weeks, n. water snakes and blue racers. Some snakes, like E. hognose, massasaugas, and Butler's garters tend to come out a little later though, at least in n. MI. Thanks for all your great pics. I'll see if I can find time to put some of mine up one of these days.

TC

>>You are correct about the T. butleri x T. radix hybridization issue. Specimens from Racine, Kenosha, southern Milwaukee and southern Waukesha counties are generally considered to be either T. radix or hybrids. I don't believe the experts consider any T. butleri from those areas to be "pure". The Butler's gartersnakes I found yesterday were from Ozaukee County, which is well outside of the know hybridization zone.
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>>I agree also that it is a bit early for T. butleri, but the ones I found were all juveniles. My experience has been that juveniles show up before the adults. They were all found in silt fence immediately adjacent to prime over-wintering areas.
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>>Tim

Let us know how it goes. I'll be heading out to the Wisconsin River on Saturday.
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Tim