Common Garter Snake

Thamnophis sirtalis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Species Data

French Name	Couleuvre rayée
Spanish Name(s)	Culebra de Agua Nómada Común
Canadian Range	Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan
U.S. Range	Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming
Mexican Range	Chihuahua
Legal Status	The San Francisco Garter Snake, T. s. tetrataenia, is Endangered. Consult provincial or state pages for legal restrictions on keeping this species in captivity.
Diet	Dietary generalists and opportunistic feeders, usually on amphibians, earthworms, and small mammals, as well as fish and leeches. Some populations are resistant to the toxic secretions of Rough-skinned Newts, Taricha granulosa.
Max. Recorded Length	137.2 cm
Pet Trade Availability	4 – Readily available.
Captivity Rating	4 – Excellent captive.

Photos

Eastern Garter Snake (T. s. sirtalis), melanistic form. Pelee Island, Ontario, 2002. Photo: Jonathan Crowe.

Eastern Garter Snake (T. s. sirtalis). Blainville, Quebec, 2003. Photo: Mathieu Ouellette.

Eastern Garter Snake (T. s. sirtalis). Terrebonne, Quebec, 2003. Photo: Mathieu Ouellette.

Description

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Subspecies

Texas Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis annectens Brown, 1950: Brightly colored subspecies with thick lateral stripes, found in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
Red-spotted Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis concinnus (Hallowell, 1852): Spectacular subspecies from northwestern Oregon and southwestern Washington, often lacking lateral stripes, with a variable amount of red along the sides.
New Mexico Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis dorsalis (Baird and Girard, 1853): Found in Mexico and southern New Mexico.
Valley Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi Fox, 1951: The subspecies found in the Rocky Mountains and interior ranges. Has only one row of red bars along the side.
California Red-sided Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis (Blainville, 1835): Beautiful snake from the California coast. Red side patterns with a red head.
Maritime Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus Allen, 1899: A checkered subspecies found in northeastern New England, Quebec, and the Maritime provinces.
Red-sided Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis (Say, 1823): The prairie subspecies, found as far north as Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, and as far south as the Oklahoma-Texas border. The subspecies found at the Manitoba snake dens.
Puget Sound Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii (Baird and Girard, 1853): Northwestern Washington, Vancouver Island and the southwestern B.C. mainland.
Chicago Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis semifasciatus Cope, 1892: Found in the Chicago vicinity. Sometimes not recognized as a valid subspecies; see Collins.
Blue-striped Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis similis Rossman, 1965: Blue-striped subspecies from northwestern peninsular Florida. Not recognized by Collins as a valid subspecies. Difficult for hobbyists to differentiate Floridian Eastern Garter Snakes with a bluish hue.
Eastern Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis (Linnaeus, 1758): Wide-ranging (across most of eastern North America) and variable, with striped, checkered and melanistic populations, and some with considerable red coloration.
San Francisco Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia (Cope, 1875): Beautiful snake found only in San Mateo County, California. A federally endangered subspecies that cannot legally be kept in captivity in the U.S.

Articles

The Narcisse Snake Dens in the Off-Season: I thought the Narcisse snake dens weren’t worth visiting in the off-season. I was wrong. (September 19, 2006)
For Ringlet: Terry and Christine Gomes remember a favourite pet. (December 8, 2004)
The San Francisco Garter Snake in Canada: What was once thought of as unattainable is now available in Canada — for a price. An interview with Montreal garter snake breeder Phil Blais. (June 4, 2004)