California red-sided garter snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids California red-sided garter snake |
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| Garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Thamnophis |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
T. s. infernalis
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| Trinomial name | |
| Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis (Blainville, 1835)
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The California red-sided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis) is a type of common garter snake. This thin snake lives in North America. It is one of three kinds of Thamnophis sirtalis found in California.
Even though scientists once thought it was closely related to another type of garter snake, its name was kept as T. s. infernalis. This was decided by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) in 2000. They wanted to keep the existing names for these snakes clear.
Most California red-sided garter snakes have blue stripes. These stripes are on a background of black and red. They are usually about 55 cm (22 in) long. The longest ones can be about 100 cm (39 in).
What Does It Look Like?
The California red-sided garter snake has a main pattern of three stripes. These stripes are usually yellow or blue. Their bodies are mostly red. They also have black spots or blotches that look like a stripe.
The amount of red can change from snake to snake. It appears as blotches and spots all over the body and head. Sometimes, the red is less bright. Then the snake might look black with red marks.
It's easy to tell this snake apart from the San Francisco garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia). The San Francisco garter snake has similar colors. But the California red-sided garter snake has red blotches and spots. The San Francisco garter snake has a single red stripe along its back.
The head of this snake is often orange or red. Its look can be quite different depending on where the snake lives.
Size and Shape
The California red-sided garter snake is a slender snake. It is smaller and lighter than the San Francisco garter snake. Female snakes are usually 90–100 cm (35-39 inches) long. Males are typically 65-75 centimeters (25-29.5 inches) long. Males are also noticeably thinner than females.
The largest T. sirtalis ever found was 137 cm (53.9 inches). However, it's rare to find a female California red-sided garter snake over 100 cm (39.5 inches).
Naming Confusion
There was some confusion about the scientific name of T. s. infernalis. In 1995, scientists Boundy and Rossman found some naming issues. They suggested that T. s. tetrataenia should be called T. s. infernalis. They also thought the current T. s. infernalis should be grouped with T. s. concinnus.
However, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) disagreed in 2000. They decided to keep the traditional names. This helped to avoid confusion in how these snakes are classified.
Reproduction
The California red-sided garter snake is a viviparous snake. This means they give birth to live young, not eggs. They mate in the late winter to early spring.
Their babies are born in the mid-summer to early fall. Newborns are usually 12-20 centimeters (5-8 inches) long. A mother snake typically has 8 to 20 babies at a time.
Like the red-spotted garter snake (T. s. concinnus), baby T. s. infernalis are born with light colors. Their colors get brighter as they grow and shed their skin. Most young snakes are born yellow. They become more blue as they get older and shed their skin.
Where Do They Live?
The California red-sided garter snake lives throughout California. You can mostly find them in coastal dunes and marshes. They are found in separate areas. These areas range from coastal Humboldt County to coastal Monterey County.
They can sometimes be found near San Francisco garter snakes. However, another type of garter snake, the valley garter snake (T. s. fitchi), mostly replaces them in southern Monterey. This means they are not found from Monterey to Santa Barbara. But they are present from Santa Barbara to San Diego County.
This snake was once listed as endangered in 1967. This meant it needed special protection. In 1990, the United States Fish and Wildlife Services said its numbers were declining.
The California red-sided garter snake usually lives near water. This includes marshes, shallow water, and sand dunes. They especially like the ponds near the San Andreas Fault. They also enjoy freshwater coastal marshes.
Sometimes, T. s. infernalis can be found temporarily in grasslands and some woodlands.
