Aquatic garter snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aquatic garter snake |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Aquatic garter snake at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Thamnophis
|
| Species: |
atratus
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Eutaenia atrata Kennicott, 1860 |
|
The aquatic garter snake (scientific name: Thamnophis atratus) is a type of snake found near water. It's known for its interesting colors and behaviors. There are three main kinds, or subspecies, of this snake.
Contents
Where Do Aquatic Garter Snakes Live?
You can find the aquatic garter snake only along the coasts of Oregon and California in the United States.
What Do Aquatic Garter Snakes Look Like?
These snakes can grow to be about 18 to 40 inches (46 to 102 centimeters) long. That's about the length of your arm to a little over a meter!
Amazing Color Patterns
Their back colors can be very different. Some are pale gray with darker spots on their sides. Others are dark brown, or even almost completely black.
A long yellow stripe might run down their back. Sometimes this stripe is missing, or it's only on their neck, or it's very hard to see. The snake's throat and belly are usually whitish to yellow.
Different Color Morphs
Some aquatic garter snakes have a blue-gray background color. They might have a light olive stripe on their back and white dots along their sides.
Another color type, called a color morph, has a bright yellow stripe down its back. It also has black spots along its sides. This second type looks more like a classic garter snake. However, because of how it acts and its scales, it's still part of the aquatic garter snake family.
Where Do Aquatic Garter Snakes Live?
These snakes love to be near water. You can often find them at the edges of bushlands, woodlands, grasslands, and forests. They like places close to ponds, marshes, streams, and lakes.
How Do Aquatic Garter Snakes Behave?
When an aquatic garter snake feels scared, it will quickly hide in the nearest water. This helps it escape from danger.
Clever Hunting Tricks
Sometimes, when the snake is hunting in a stream, it does something very clever. It will flick its tongue above the water. This makes it look like an insect that a small fish might want to eat. This trick helps the snake lure its prey right into its mouth!
How Do Aquatic Garter Snakes Reproduce?
Aquatic garter snakes give birth to live young. They don't lay eggs. A mother snake usually has between three and 12 babies at one time.
Types of Aquatic Garter Snakes
There are three recognized subspecies, or types, of the aquatic garter snake:
- Santa Cruz garter snake (T. a. atratus) – named by Kennicott in 1860.
- Oregon garter snake (T. a. hydrophilus) – named by Fitch in 1936.
- Diablo Range garter snake (T. a. zaxanthus) – named by Boundy in 1999.
