Western Terrestrial Garter Snake

The medium-sized snake is basically terrestrial, but at times it becomes semi-aquatic. This is a North American snake that is venomous, but that is not detrimental for people. The venom can immobilize small preys only, that helps the snake swallow them. Unless extremely threatened, the snake doesn’t bite humans.

Scientific Classification

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Reptilia
Order	Squamata
Suborder	Serpentes
Family	Colubridae
Genus	Thamnophis
Scientific Name	Thamnophis elegans

Quick Information

Description	Size: 18.11-42.12 in (18.11-42.12 cm) Weight: Around 5.2 oz (150 gm) Color: The back is grayish-green while the belly is yellow, both sides have yellow stripes throughout the length, a few snakes might exhibit black spots on their back. Sexual Dimorphism: Yes; female snakes are larger than males
Distribution	Canada, North Mexico, and United States
Habitat	Mostly found in and around lakes and streams (slow flowing), but also common in mountainous areas, deserts, forests, and meadows
Subspecies	1. Thamnophis elegans arizonae or Arizona Garter Snake 2. Thamnophis elegans hueyi or San-Pedro-Martir Garter Snake 3. Thamnophis elegans elegans or Mountain Garter Snake 4. Thamnophis elegans terrestris or Coast Garter Snake 5. Thamnophis elegans vascotanneri or Upper Basin Garter Snake 6. Thamnophis elegans vagrans or Wandering Garter Snake
Lifespan	Around 2 years in the wild and 6-12 in the captivity
Diet	Lizards, salamanders, slugs, fish, toad and frog larvae, and leeches, and small mammals
Adaptations	The snake has a foul-smelling secretion from its cloaca which  it rubs off all over the body to ward off its predators. Their skin is capable of camouflaging against the surroundings through a cryptic coloration
Predators	Brewer’s blackbirds, ospreys, common crows, great blue herons, American mink, Virginia opossums, raccoons, American robins, bald eagles, ring-billed gulls, red tailed hawks, sandhill cranes, red tailed hawks, and northern harriers
IUCN Conservation Status	Least Concern

Behavior

• In the morning, the snake warms itself up by basking in the Sun and then starts looking for preys. But if it’s too hot outside, then the snake prefers to stay inside a shelter.
•  The snake uses the same hibernation spot every year.

Mating and Reproduction

Female snakes use pheromone to communicate with male snakes for mating. Their common breeding season is spring but they mate in the falls as well. When the temperature starts to rise they mate and females leave the den or the mating spot soon after and males stay back at the spot to continue mating with other female snakes. The eggs are hatched inside the female snake’s body and 8-12 live young ones are born.

Life-cycle

Right from the birth, the young western garter snakes are on their own and there is no parental care involved. They start looking for food and often become aggressive in order to survive. Both male and female snakes attain sexual maturity around the age of 1.5 years.

Interesting Fact

• The snake species also has melanistic variations.

References

1. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Thamnophis_elegans/#reproduction
2. https://digitalatlas.cose.isu.edu/bio/reptile/serp/thel/thelfram.htm
3. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/28398-Thamnophis-elegans
4. https://bcreptilesandamphibians.trubox.ca/western-terrestrial-garter-snake/