Common Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Thamnophis, Species: T. sirtalis
Widely distributed throughout North America, ranging from Nova Scotia and southern Canada down to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, including the state of Minnesota.
Look up Common Garter Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Thamnophis, Species: T. sirtalis
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, facing minor threats primarily from habitat fragmentation, road mortality, and intentional killing.
Physical Description
Displays a dark dorsal background color with distinct longitudinal light stripes running down the body, typical of garter snakes. The head is relatively distinct from the neck, with round pupils and keeled scales giving the body a textured appearance.
Size & Dimensions
Estimated specimen length is approximately 24 to 30 inches. Typical adults range from 18 to 55 inches (46 to 140 cm) in total length.
Habitat
Found in a diverse array of habitats including forests, fields, marshes, prairies, and the edges of streams and ponds, often near water or damp environments.
Diet & Feeding
An active forager that preys primarily on amphibians, fish, earthworms, and occasionally small rodents or other reptiles, locating prey primarily through scent and keen vision.
Reproduction
Viviparous (giving birth to live young), producing litters typically ranging from 10 to 40 or more offspring in the late summer after mating in the spring.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with other striped snake species such as the Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis saurita) or other garter snake species. Distinguished by specific scale counts, stripe positioning, and head markings.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, facing minor threats primarily from habitat fragmentation, road mortality, and intentional killing.
Cultural Significance
Serves an important ecological role as both a predator of small animals and prey for larger mammals and birds. Often kept as a hardy educational pet in North America.
Notable Features
Noted for its extreme adaptability, tolerance of human-altered landscapes, and communal overwintering behavior in large dens known as hibernacula.
Notes
Found in northeast Minnesota