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.

The Giant Garter Snake, Thamnophis gigas, is the largest garter snake species known. Like other large, aquatic species of garter snake, it fills the same ecological niche in western North America that water snakes (Nerodia) fill in eastern North America.

Conservation

The Giant Garter Snake is listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Captive Care

As a federally listed species found only in California, the Giant Garter Snake is not likely to be commonly encountered in captivity. That said, its care requirements are likely not much different from other large, temperamental aquatic garter snakes found on the west coast (such as the Sierra and Two-striped), except, of course, for its larger size. On their captive maintenance difficulty index, where 1 is the easiest and 5 the most difficult, Rossi and Rossi (2003) rate this species a 3.

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

• 9 Nov 2014 Giant Garter Receives 140 Acres in Mitigation
• 4 Dec 2013 New Plan to Protect Giant Garter
• 4 Feb 2010 Merced to Create Giant Garter Snake Habitat, Snakes Hopefully Will Arrive Later
• 7 Aug 2009 Giant Garter Snake Population Rediscovered
• 25 Apr 2005 Sacramento Airport Buys 300 Acres of Giant Garter Habitat

Sources