#thamnophis

Common garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) during breeding season in Canada

Red-sided Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis), in a breeding aggregation after emerging from their winter den, family Colubridae, Manitoba, Canada

Here‘s a rundown of the ones Ive seen and the ones I haven’t, in order of pictures.

T. Hammondii:(two striped) have Seen!! Plenty. Mainly the melanistic morphs lacking stripes as pictured , but I’ve seen some 4-5 odd ‚normal‘ morph ones further south. Their stripes (when they do have them) are on their sides, not back. Fairly aquatic lifestyle

T. Sirtalis: (Valley, SF, red sided) I’ve seen one!! of 3(or4) subspecies in CA, the Valley ones! Both in the sierras and on the coast. They have red checkers on their sides. Red sideds have a red head accompanying potentially bigger checkers. San Francisco ones are the super flashy ones with teal and red stripes everyone likes to super saturate their photos of. Similarly aquatic

T. Atratus: (aquatic garter(Santa Cruz, Diablo Range, Oregon)) I have only ever seen Diablo range ones. Very aquatic lifestyle (as name implies). In areas where coast garters are darker may take a keen eye to differentiate. They have similar morphology to the former two, and often have a wider more striking dorsal stripe. Elegans have a bigger lip scale right behind the eye and even chin guards(underneath the head).

T.elegans:(mountain, coast, wandering) I have found almost all, but all ones with mountain garter blood I’ve seen have been integrades(mutts) with wanderings. No coast garters pictured as they are so common a find for me I seem to have forsaken the task of taking any passable pictures. Most terrestrial lifestyle (another name for them is terrestrial garter snake, so one would already assume)

T.sierrae: Ive Seen a few! Visibly very similar to two striped, but do not overlap in range to my knowledge. I even hear of population that have a dorsal stripe. Mainly aquatic lifestyle but I’ve found them like a half mile from the nearest proper stream so it just depends on where you are.(don’t mind the tail injury, it was quite fine otherwise)

Ones I’ve either not found or have no photos of:

T. marcianus: (checkered garters) I saw a baby in Arizona, but only took a blurry video. And I don’t know if it was the same subspecies as the kind in CA.

T. ordinoides: (northwestern) they sometimes have a red dorsal stripe!! My family went on a trip without me (I had obligations at home) and saw them. I did not.

T. Gigas : (Giant gartersnake) big!!!! Very protected animal. I wish to see one, one day. I am happy they can eat the invasive bullfrogs, which eat anything and everything smaller than them and decimate ecosystems statewide.

Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis Colubridae

(Picture credit to Mid peninsula regional open space)

(Credit to CheesieMack, Steve Coltor)

(Credit to GravidGarters)

(Credit to Lakemagazine)

(Credit to Benjamin Genter) Naturally gorgeous, so many different species that come in a whole slew of colors like this! They are a species that can be kept without having to feed rodents, so people who don't want a snake they have to feed mice to can have these. They eat so many different things, fish, worms, insects, and even things like chicken heart and liver! (Ofc nutrition needs to be taken into account) They stay a small, manageable size, and size can differ slightly based on region and species

Easy to keep and breed in captivity Sexual dimorphism makes the males much smaller than the females, so if you want one that stays smaller you can get a male!

^ Large female surrounded by small males (Credit to the syndey morning herald) And!! The best part (to me, because I think its cute) is that they are communal, and do very well cohabitated! Their social behavior is rare in other species, but they live in large groups that sleep in the same den, and while they venture out alone, they always regroup. So, as long as there is adequate space provided, they can be kept in groups! (Ofc its also important to read about their behavior, especially for feeding time) The only down side here in the US is that some species are illegal to own in the states that they are native to, so its important to do research on which ones are legal in the keepers state