File:Sierra_garter_snake_handled.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
garter snake
Sign in to saveAlso known as Thamnophis, garden snake, gardener snake, ribbon snake
genus of reptiles
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Natricinae
- Image
- Coast Garter Snake.jpg
Show 8 more facts
- taxon name
- Thamnophis
- Commons category
- Thamnophis
- taxon rank
- genus
- topic's main category
- Category:Thamnophis
- Commons gallery
- Thamnophis
- taxon common name
- Garter Snakes
- has characteristic
- hibernation
- described by source
- New International Encyclopedia
Sources (3)
via Wikidata · CC0
~11 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Garter snake is the common name for small to medium-sized snakes belonging to the genus Thamnophis in the family Colubridae. They are native to North and Central America, ranging from central Canada in the north to Costa Rica in the south.
With about 37 recognized species and 52 subspecies, garter snakes are highly variable in appearance; generally, they have large round eyes with rounded pupils, a slender build, keeled scales (appearing 'raised'), and a pattern of longitudinal stripes that may or may not include spots (although some have no stripes at all). Certain subspecies have stripes of blue, yellow, or red, mixed with black tops and beige-tan underbelly markings. They also vary significantly in total length, from 18 to 51 in (46 to 130 cm).
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “garter snake” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.