I was given this garter snake late last year by a person who had caught it on her grandfathers ranch in the northwest Texas panhandle (I forget the county). She had intended to keep it but was unable to get it feeding on rodents and was tired of buying fish and worms.
I *think* it's a checkered (it looks right, the range is right) but wanted to check. It's a very pretty snake, and after being burmated it took f/t rodents fairly easily. I'm just not 100% on my ID, particularly as my copy of Texas Snakes mentions there's some hybridization that occurs in that region with the plains garter.
thanks 
I tried to get the head from two angles. And one shot of hte back so you could see the dorsal stripe & pattern
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa
