Garter Snake

Thamnophis genus

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re talking about garter snakes. Garter snakes are some of the most well known snakes in North America, and for good reason! These noodle bois are found from Canada to Central American and are often the most populous snakes in any given habitat. Garter snakes live in… well basically every environment. They can be found in grasslands, forests, swamps, coastal areas, mountainous areas, even urban settings! Though, like most of us, they have their favorite places.

While Chester prefers the warmest spot on the pillow at night - also known as directly on my head - garter snakes generally like wet environments. Streamsides, lakesides, riversides, all these places can attract a garter snake and make her feel right at home. These snakes aren’t great climbers, so they spend most of their time on the ground. Sometimes they can be found hanging out in low lying bushes, but it’s unlikely someone will get smacked by one falling from the tree canopy.

Their territories are often quite small, so while they’re generally considered solitary snakes (for most of the year… we’ll explain that in just a bit) it’s not unlikely there are plenty of garter snake individuals living in close proximity. When different species inhabit a similar area, they may even separate themselves by the moisture of the habitat with one species preferring the wetter areas and the other preferred the drier areas. It all depends on the species! Of which there are currently thought to be more than thirty - this could always change with new research, though!

Garter snakes are most active during the day except for the hottest parts of the summer. During these times, garter snakes will either switch their activity times to night, or they’ll just become sluggish and not really do anything - though their parents aren’t breathing down their throats to get a summer job. Actually their parents probably aren’t talking to them at all, garter snakes are on their own from birth.

In northern parts of their range, garter snakes may gather in large groups and hibernate together during the winter. This is similar to the rattlesnakes we’ve talked about previously! When they emerge in spring, they mate. Hey, it’s way easier to find a mate that way - everybody’s like… right there. Perhaps you’ve seen the garter snake facts on U-Haul trucks talking about the garter snakes in Manitoba - this is what those trucks are referring to.

The female garter snakes won’t lay eggs. They retain the eggs inside their bodies and then give birth to live young sometime in the late Summer (though this can vary by species). The babies are most vulnerable in their first year of life. Not only do they have to watch out for predators like fish, frogs, other snakes, crows, hawks, herons, and foxes - they have to eat enough food to ensure they can survive the winter hibernation. At least in northern living species - species found in the southern parts of their range may not hibernate through the winter.

Garter snakes eat all kinds of food. Some are specialists and only eat certain types of food, but others will eat anything from leeches, to birds, to bats! As we discussed in our rear-fanged snake episode, garter snakes may have a mild toxin to paralyze their prey. While this has been shown to potentially cause mild reactions in humans, garter snakes are still considered harmless to humans.

Garter snakes are usually easy to identify. Many species have lateral stripes along their bodies and they also come with keeled scales - like bush vipers! However, just because they can be easy to identify, they’re often not easy to spot because their patterns help them blend in with their surroundings. If a garter snake is caught by a predator, it is able to release poo and stinky musk which will cover both the snake and the predator - and who really wants to eat a poopy snake?

For more facts on garter snakes, check out the links in the description. Thank you to blackkiorecords for today’s request. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!