Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Thamnophis, Species: T. sirtalis
Widespread across North America, ranging from Nova Scotia and southern Canada down through most of the United States to the Gulf of Mexico and Florida.
Look up 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: Least Concern. Populations are generally robust, though locally impacted by habitat loss and road mortality.
Physical Description
Displays characteristic longitudinal light-colored stripes running down a darker body (often a central dorsal stripe and two lateral stripes), keeled scales, and a slender body shape.
Size & Dimensions
Typical adults range from 46 to 137 cm (18 to 54 inches) in total length.
Habitat
Extremely adaptable, found in meadows, marshes, woodlands, grassy areas near water, agricultural fields, and suburban backyards.
Diet & Feeding
Generalist carnivore feeding on amphibians, earthworms, fish, small rodents, and insects, hunting actively by sight and chemoreception.
Reproduction
Viviparous (gives live birth), producing litters typically ranging from 10 to 40 or more young in the late summer.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status: Least Concern. Populations are generally robust, though locally impacted by habitat loss and road mortality.
Cultural Significance
Frequently encountered in suburban gardens where they serve a beneficial role in controlling garden pests like slugs and insects; commonly kept in educational settings.
Notable Features
Known for their remarkable ecological adaptability and communal overwintering behavior in large hibernacula.