Mexican Wandering Garter Snake

Thamnophis errans (H. M. Smith, 1942)

Spanish Name Culebra de Agua Nómada Mexicana
Max. Recorded Length 75 cm / 29.5 inches
Range Chihuahua, Durango, Nayarit, Zacatecas

Note: These species pages are in various stages of completion. Some are basically finished; others are very much under construction. Please be patient while I work on this section.

A medium-sized garter snake from northwestern Mexico, the Mexican Wandering Garter Snake, Thamnophis errans, resembles the Western Terrestrial Garter Snake, T. elegans, of which it was at one point considered a subspecies. It’s a relatively drab, brown-gray snake with pale stripes; there may be a pattern of black spots between the stripes. While it resembles T. elegans, T. errans may be more closely related to the Godman’s Garter Snake complex. It has relatively small litters.

If you have experience with this species and would like to share, please contact me.

For general information on keeping garter snakes in captivity, please see the Care Guide.

Articles and News

Sources

Liner, Ernest A. 1994. Scientific and Common Names for the Amphibians and Reptiles of Mexico in English and Spanish. SSAR Herpetological Circular No. 23.

Rossman, Douglas A., Neil B. Ford and Richard A. Seigel. 1996. The Garter Snakes: Evolution and Ecology. Norman OK: University of Oklahoma Press.