Eastern Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
Colubriidae or Colubrid Family
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This is the official state snake of Virginia. About 1 and a half to 2 feet long. Highly variable in appearance. Typically, the base color is brown to black, sometimes greenish, with three yellow to white stripes, one on the back and one on either side. There are usually black spots between the stripes. However, the spots can be faint, and sometimes the stripes are absent. They eat just about anything they can swallow: insects, earthworms, millipedes, spiders, salamanders, fish, frogs and toads. They are venomous, injecting poison into their pey by chewing on it as they attempt to swallow it. Their venom, however, is harmless to humans. In turn, they may be eaten by raccoons, skunks, weasels, hawks, owls, and kingsnakes. This snake lives in a variety of habitats from marshes, fields, and forests to cemeteries and backyards. It ranges from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the east coast to the Mississippi River. It is often the most common snake in a given area. The Common Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis saurita), is very similar in coloration and pattern, but it is more slender, and generally stays close to water. To tell them apart, look at their faces. Ribbon snakes have a white scale in front of the eyes that gartersnakes lack, and garter snakes have black edging on their upper lip scales (see picture at left), whereas ribbon snakes have pure white lips. Eastern Ribbon Snakes have not yet been reported from Wildwood, but are known from Montgomery Co. |
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