Thamnophis sirtalis
| Common garter snake | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Natricinae |
| Genus: | Thamnophis |
| Species: | T. sirtalis |
| Binomial name | |
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Thamnophis sirtalis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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| Subspecies | |
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13 sspp., see text |
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| Synonyms | |
13 sspp., see text
The common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) is a species of natricine snake, which is indigenous to North America and found widely across the continent. Most common garter snakes have a pattern of yellow stripes on a brown or green background, and their average total length (including tail) is about 55 cm (22 in), with a maximum total length of about 137 cm (54 in). The average body mass is 150 g (5.3 oz).
Current scientific classification recognizes thirteen subspecies (ordered by date):
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Thamnophis.
The subspecific name, fitchi, is in honor of American herpetologist Henry Sheldon Fitch.
The subspecific name, lowei, is in honor of American herpetologist Charles Herbert Lowe.
The subspecific name, pickeringii, is in honor of American naturalist Charles E. Pickering.
Common garter snakes are thin snakes. None grow over about 4 ft (1.2 m) long, and most stay smaller. Most have longitudinal stripes in many different colors. Common garter snakes come in a wide range of colors including: green, blue, yellow, gold, red, orange, brown, and black
The common garter snake is a diurnal snake. In summer, it is most active in the morning and late afternoon; in cooler seasons or climates, it restricts its activity to the warm afternoons.
In warmer southern areas, the snake is active year-round; otherwise, it sleeps in common dens, sometimes in great numbers. On warm winter afternoons, some snakes have been observed emerging from their hibernacula to bask in the sun.
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Wikipedia