Urban Creeps: BugScope Crossover!

Billy joins entomologist and bug ambassador Isa Betancourt on her BugScope Periscope cast to talk about urban snakes. We focus on urban garter snakes from Philadelphia to Mexico City, but Billy fits in a few Philly milk snakes too. Be sure to check out the actual Periscope episode for the full effect.

Here are the specimens we discussed, all from the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (see the links for what they look like in life):

Mexican garter snakes (Thamnophis eques) from Mexico City:

Preserved Mexican garter snakes (Thamnophis eques) from Mexico City

Mexican garter snakes (Thamnophis eques) from Mexico City

Eastern garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) from Philadelphia:

Preserved eastern garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) from Philadelphia

Eastern garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) from Philadelphia

Milk snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum) from Philadelphia.

Preserved milk snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum) from Philadelphia

Milk snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum) from Philadelphia

Black-bellied garter snakes (Thamnophis melanogaster) from Mexico City:

preserved black-bellied garter snakes (Thamnophis melanogaster) from Mexico City

Black-bellied garter snakes (Thamnophis melanogaster) from Mexico City

Short-headed garter snakes (Thamnophis brachystoma) from NW Pennsylvania:

Preserved Short-headed garter snake (Thamnophis brachystoma)

Short-headed garter snake (Thamnophis brachystoma)

I forgot to take a picture of the two-striped garter snake (Thamnophis hammondi), but follow the link to see some pictures of what they look like.