Alternate name: Wandering Garter Snake
Family: Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes view all from this family
Description 18-42" (45.7-106.7 cm). Variable color and markings; may resemble Western Aquatic Garter Snake. Side stripe occupies 2nd and 3rd scale rows, but back stripe is usually well-defined. Space between stripes marked with dark spots or with scattered light specks. 8 upper lip scales; 6th and 7th enlarged. Internasal scales not pointed in front. Scales keeled, in 19-21 rows. Anal plate single.
Subspecies Mountain Garter Snake (T. e. elegans), conspicuous stripes, back stripe yellow or orange, belly pale, plain, or with light spotting, no red markings; extreme w. Nevada, Sierra Nevada, and e. slope of n. Coast Ranges of California, north in Cascade Mountains of w. Oregon.
Coast Garter Snake (T. e. terrestris), wide bright yellow back stripe, red or orange flecks on sides and belly; along coast, extreme sw. Oregon south to Santa Barbara County, California.
Wandering Garter Snake (T. e. vagrans), narrow back stripe dull yellow or brown, fades on tail; light areas between stripes marked with small dark spots, sometimes absent or enlarged, fused and filling space between stripes; sw. Manitoba, sw. South Dakota, and extreme w. Oklahoma west to coastal British Columbia, w. Washington, c. Oregon and ec. California.
Arizona Wandering Garter Snake (T. e. arizonae), e. Arizona (Apache and Navajo Counties) and w. New Mexico (Catron and McKinley Counties).
Upper Basin Garter Snake (T. e. vascotanneri), Colorado and Green River drainages of e. Utah.
Breeding Live-bearing. Mates in spring; 4-19 young 6 1/2-9" (16.5-23 cm) long, are born July to September.
Habitat Moist situations near water; margins of streams, ponds, lakes, damp meadows; open grassland to forest; sea level to 10,500' (3,200 m).
Range Sw. Manitoba and s. British Columbia southward into Mexico, extreme sw. South Dakota and extreme w. Oklahoma west to Pacific coast.
Discussion Diurnal. Occasionally seen basking during morning hours in the open. When disturbed, it often takes to water. A generalized feeder, it eats slugs, worms, tadpoles, frogs, fish, mice, and small birds.
