Godman’s Garter Snake
Thamnophis godmani (Günther, 1894)
| Spanish Name | Víbora de Agua |
|---|---|
| Max. Recorded Length | 52 cm / 20.5 inches (SVL) |
| Range | Guerrero |
| Pet Trade Availability | ☆☆☆☆ not available |
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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.
Godman’s Garter Snake previously included the garter snake populations now known as Bogert’s Garter Snake, Thamnophis bogerti, Conant’s Garter Snake, Thamnophis conanti, and Liner’s Garter Snake, Thamnophis lineri. Rossman and Burbrink’s 2005 paper created those three new species on the grounds that each population formerly belonging to T. godmani was morphologically distinct and geographically isolated from the others.
Thamnophis godmani has been retained for populations from Guerrero, where it has been found in pine-oak and cloud forest in the Sierra Madre del Sur.
Very little is known about the four species in this complex.
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. and Frank T. Burbrink. 2005. “Species limits within the Mexican garter snakes of the Thamnophis godmani complex.” Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural Science 79.
Rossman, Douglas A., Neil B. Ford and Richard A. Seigel. 1996. The Garter Snakes: Evolution and Ecology. Norman OK: University of Oklahoma Press.