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This one was somewhere in Missouri... not even sure where, as I was all over that state the other day. With 35 individual species of Garter Snakes plus the Ribbon Snakes varieties, I wasn't about to open that can of worms... er, snakes, right now.

If your friend wants to have a go at it, I'll try to remember the city, but all I know right now is Missouri. Thanks!

He replied really fast! Here's what he said:

Based in the Photo I'd call it a Red-Sided Garter Snake. especially if he is somewhere in the central-north western side of the state. It's typically just considered a subspecies of eastern garter though so it could just be an eastern in the "zone of overlap" between the "two" species.

Very cool, thanks much!

Cool! I just emailed him some of your pictures. He may ask for one of the venter, in case you have one.