This garter snake slithered across the trail right as I was about to set my foot down.
I took this photo of a common garter snake while hiking back from Round Knob on the Knobstone Trail in southern Indiana. With 150’ of prominence, Round Knob is the third highest prominence in Indiana, but the 12,036th highest prominence in the United States. It’s a real Midwest mountain. This garter snake slithered across the trail right as I was about to set my foot down. It was more spooked than we were, but it stopped long enough to take a few photos before it finished its journey across the trail.
The scientific name for this species is Thamnophis sirtalis. It is in the subfamily Natricinae of the family of snakes Colubridae. There are many subspecies of the common garter snake: eastern garter snake, red-sided garter snake, California red-sided garter snake, red-spotted garter snake, New Mexico garter snake, Puget Sound garter snake, San Francisco garter snake, Chicago garter snake, maritime garter snake, Texas garter snake, valley garter snake, blue-striped garter snake, and the Chihuahua garter snake. This is likely an easter garter snake.
Like many other snakes, the common garter snake’s saliva is toxic to amphibians and other small animals. It has a mild venom in its saliva, but it is not dangerous to humans. Be careful when picking them up because they are known to emit a foul-smelling fluid from their postanal glands as a defense mechanism when handled or harmed. If a common garter snake were to eat a poisonous animal, like the American toad or the rough-skinned newt, it will be just fine. It can absorb the toxins of these animals. This then makes them toxic to other predators, which becomes a defense mechanism for the snake.
Common garter snakes are found in habitats that support their diet. They can be found in forests fields, prairies, streams, wetlands, meadows, marshes, and ponds. They are more often than not found near water. Their habitats support the food that they most commonly eat: amphibians, earthworms, leeches, slugs, snails, insects, crayfish, fish, lizards, snakes, small birds, and rodents. They are effective hunters and can catch fast-moving creatures.
Like many other snakes, the common garter snake’s saliva is toxic to amphibians and other small animals.
Did you know?
- Raccoons are a known predator of the common garter snake. Learn more about raccoons in this month’s gallery.
- The San Francisco garter snake is endangered and can only be found in San Mateo County, California.
- The common garter snake can be found throughout the North American continent and at many different elevations.
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