Northwestern Garter Snake vs. Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
Both are western garters with the side stripe on rows 2 and 3. A: the Northwestern Garter has a small head barely wider than the neck and usually 7 upper lip scales, the 3rd and 4th touching the eye; the Terrestrial has a broad head with an enlarged temple region and usually 8 upper lip scales, the 4th and 5th touching the eye. B: the Northwestern's middle stripe is straight-edged (though variable in width and colour); the Terrestrial's is wavy or notched, with dark side blotches regularly biting into it. C: the Northwestern's side stripes are often faint, broken or absent; the Terrestrial's are well defined but often notched by dark spots. D: red on the Northwestern is spread evenly along the stripe or back; on the Terrestrial it appears as red flecks mixed into the dark spots. In hand: 17 midbody scale rows in the Northwestern, 21 (rarely 19) in the Terrestrial; the Terrestrial's internasal scales are broad and triangular, the Northwestern's short and rounded. Size: Northwestern 14–26 in, Terrestrial 18–38 in.
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