Western Terrestrial Garter Snake vs. Common Garter Snake

Side-stripe position is the same in both (rows 2 and 3), so look elsewhere. A: the Terrestrial's middle stripe is dull and its edges are bitten into by the dark spots; the Common Garter's is clean, with crisp, straight edges. B: the Terrestrial usually has 8 upper lip scales (the 4th and 5th touch the eye) that are plain or faintly edged; the Common has 7 (the 3rd and 4th touch the eye), with dark bars on the seams. C: red, when present, is in flecks within the dark spots on the Terrestrial; on Nebraska's Common Garters it forms bars or patches between the black spots on the sides. D: the Terrestrial's belly is usually dark; the Common's pale. The internasal scales on top of the snout are broad in the Terrestrial and taper forward in the Common (needs a close photo from above).

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Wildsight identifies the reptiles and amphibians of the United States. Every comparison