Neonate Garter ID?

So my coworker was camping a few weeks ago and scooped up a couple garter snakes and brought them home for her kids. Apparently one of them popped out about 10 babies last night and she brought me a couple. (Mostly in an attempt to pacify her husband who is freaking out about how many snakes they now have.)

I don't have a pic of the parent, just the babies. I know garters aren't special, but I'm still curious! I'm pretty sure that the parent was caught in New Mexico but I'm not sure what part. Looking online, I'm thinking they're T.e. vagrans - wandering garter snake. What are your thoughts?

Thanks!

They kind of look like the Dekay snake's or Northern Brown snake's I caught growing up. Cool little fellas, brought back some memories. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

They may not be "special" but I think they're beautiful! Love the dark head.

they look like wandering gartersnakes to me, where was the mother found?

Yeah they look like Wandering Garters, definitely not brown snakes.

I'm still not so sure. You might be right, because of the spots, I just still see Dekay snake or Northern Brown snakes from his pictures. I think the head shape throws me off.

posted image


wandering gartersnakes


Northern Brown snake

They're 100% not brown snakes. Brown snake babies usually have a white or yellow colored ring around their necks when they're that small. And their head isn't that dark. And they don't have that faint dorsal stripe that those baby garters have.

My mistake, their heads could be that dark if they were neonate brown snakes. But I've seen thousands of both and they're very very much garters.

I've caught the Northern Browns when I was younger. I seen a lot with dark heads lacking ring neck but none I remember any having strong dorsal stripes so your probably right. I didn't even catch them stripes looking at the posted images until I went back after you said it, good eye sir.

^ look up pictures of neonate wandering garters and you'll see the resemblence