Common Garter Snake

Order: Squamata

Family: Colubridae

Genus: Thamnophis

Species: T. sirtalis

Identifying Characteristics:

- The Garter snake is a Colubrid snake genus (Thamnophis)

- Most garter snakes have a pattern of yellow stripes on a brown background and their average length is about 3.3 ft to 4.9 ft.

Special Adaptations:

- Garter snakes are widespread throughout North America

- in the western part of North America, these snakes are more water loving than in the eastern portion. Northern populations hibernate in larger groups than southern ones.

- Garter snakes, like all snakes, are meat eaters. Their diet consists of almost any creature that they are capable of overpowering: slugs, earthworms, leeches, lizards, amphibians, birds, fish, toads and rodents. When living near the water, they will eat other aquatic animals.

- Garter snakes often adapt to eat whatever they can find, and whenever, because food can be scarce or abundant. Although they dine mostly upon live animals, they will sometimes eat eggs.

- Garter snakes have complex systems of pheromonal communication. They can find other snakes by following their pheromone-scented trails.

- Male and female skin pheromones are so different as to be immediately distinguishable. However, sometimes male garter snakes produce both male and female pheromones. During mating season, this fact fools other males into attempting to mate with these "she-males". This causes the transfer of heat to them in kleptothermy which is an advantage immediately after hibernation so allowing them to be more active

- If disturbed, a garter snake may coil and strike, but typically it will hide its head and flail its tail. These snakes will also discharge a malodorous, musky-scented secretion from a gland near the anus. They often use these techniques to escape when ensnared by a predator. They will also slither into the water to escape a predator on land. Hawks, crows, raccoons, crayfish and other snake species (such as the coral snake and king snake) will eat garter snakes, with even shrews and frogs