Eastern Garter Snake

Appearance

Eastern Garter snakes average between 18-26 inches long. The largest recorded length was 48.7 inches long. Females are typically larger than males. They are either a greenish, brown or black color and have a distinct yellow or white stripe.

Distribution

The Eastern Garter Snake has a wide range across eastern North America, going as far north as southern Ontario and Quebec to the Gulf of Mexico in the south, along the eastern shores of America to the Mississippi River. In New England, the snake is described as the "most widespread and ubiquitous" serpent, from wilderness to urban environments and from sea level to high elevations.

The Eastern Garter Snake will live in a variety of environments, with a preference for grassy or shrubby fields, including abandoned farmland, outbuildings and trash dumps. In particular the snake likes to inhabit stone walls that separate the forest from fields. It is also found along moist habitats such as lakes, rivers, streams, swamps, bogs, ponds, drainage ditches, quarries. Snakes are present in urban environments in habitats that include "city parks, cemeteries and suburban yards and gardens". Eastern Garter Snakes like to conceal themselves under logs, stones and other debris that allow them to bask in the sunlight and quickly seek refuge from predators. Krulikowski notes that "[o]ld poultry farms with discarded sheet-metal incubation trays provide warm, moist hiding places."

Habitat

The Eastern Garter Snake has a wide range across eastern North America, going as far north as southern Ontario and Quebec to the Gulf of Mexico in the south, along the eastern shores of America to the Mississippi River. In New England, the snake is described as the "most widespread and ubiquitous" serpent, from wilderness to urban environments and from sea level to high elevations.

The Eastern Garter Snake will live in a variety of environments, with a preference for grassy or shrubby fields, including abandoned farmland, outbuildings and trash dumps. In particular the snake likes to inhabit stone walls that separate the forest from fields. It is also found along moist habitats such as lakes, rivers, streams, swamps, bogs, ponds, drainage ditches, quarries. Snakes are present in urban environments in habitats that include "city parks, cemeteries and suburban yards and gardens". Eastern Garter Snakes like to conceal themselves under logs, stones and other debris that allow them to bask in the sunlight and quickly seek refuge from predators. Krulikowski notes that "[o]ld poultry farms with discarded sheet-metal incubation trays provide warm, moist hiding places."

Reproduction

Eastern Garter snakes are ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young. Many males may try to mate with one female, resulting in a 'breeding ball'. The young are 5-9 inches long at birth.

Food

They mostly eat toads, frogs, slugs, and worms, but they will eat almost anything that they can overpower.

Evolution

The scientific name ''Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis'' is a combination of Ancient Greek and New Latin that means "bush snakes that looks like a garter strap". The genus name "Thamnophis" is derived from the Greek "thamnos" and "ophio" and the New Latin "siratalis" . The species name ''siratalis'' is a reference to the snake's pattern resembling a striped garter strap.