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The first garter snake to be scientifically described was the eastern garter snake (now Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis), by zoologist and taxonomist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The genus Thamnophis was described by Leopold Fitzinger in 1843 as the genus for the garter snakes and ribbon snakes. [ 2 ]
In summer, the snakes move to mossy or marshy areas where they look for food. [8] Adult snakes feed only for 2 to 3 months during summer, whereas the young ones feed till the start of winter. [6] The adult primarily feed on ranid and wood frogs, and occasionally on mice and voles. [8] [6] The young snakes mostly feed on earthworms. [6]
It is one of the most aquatic of all garter snakes. [1] Narrow-headed garter snakes hibernate between October or November to March in rocky outcroppings above the flood line. [9] [11] They are viviparous and give birth to 4-17 young in late July or August. They are sexually mature at around 2 years. [9]
Age may be another factor that contributes to antipredatory responses. As garter snakes mature, the length of time for which they can engage in physical activity at 25 °C increases. Juvenile snakes can only be physically active for 3–5 minutes. Adult snakes can be physically active for up to 25 minutes.
Construction work on a dike in Canada gave hundreds of slumbering snakes a bit of a rude awakening last week. Workers unearthed a den of more than 500 garter snakes, hibernating under rocks in ...
The scientific name Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis is a combination of Ancient Greek and New Latin that means "bush snake that looks like a garter strap". The generic name Thamnophis is derived from the Greek "thamnos" (bush) and "ophis" (snake) and the specific name sirtalis is derived from the New Latin "siratalis" (like a garter), a reference to the snake's color pattern resembling a striped ...
People afraid of snakes should avoid Manitoba, Canada in the spring. Every year around this time, thousands of red-garter snakes wake up from months in hibernation dens in the Manitoba town of ...
T. e. terrestris with dark coloring Mountain garter snake (T. e. elegans) defensive posture. Most western terrestrial garter snakes have a yellow, light orange, or white dorsal stripe, accompanied by two stripes of the same color, one on each side. Some varieties have red or black spots between the dorsal stripe and the side stripes.