Common garter snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Common garter snake |
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| Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Thamnophis
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| Species: |
sirtalis
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| Subspecies | |
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13 sspp., see text |
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| Synonyms | |
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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 black, 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). Common garter snakes are also the state reptile of Massachusetts.
Contents
Subspecies
Current scientific classification recognizes 13 subspecies (ordered by date):
| Image | Subspecies | Distribution |
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T. s. sirtalis (Linnaeus, 1758) – eastern garter snake | eastern North America |
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T. s. parietalis (Say, 1823) – red-sided garter snake | as far north as Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, and as far south as the Oklahoma-Texas border |
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T. s. infernalis (Blainville, 1835) – California red-sided garter snake | California coast |
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T. s. concinnus (Hallowell, 1852) – red-spotted garter snake | northwestern Oregon and southwestern Washington |
| T. s. dorsalis (Baird & Girard, 1853) – New Mexico garter snake | Mexico and southern New Mexico. | |
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T. s. pickeringii (Baird & Girard, 1853) – Puget Sound garter snake | Northwestern Washington, Vancouver Island and the southwestern B.C. |
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T. s. tetrataenia (Cope, 1875) – San Francisco garter snake (endangered) | San Mateo County, California |
| T. s. semifasciatus (Cope, 1892) – Chicago garter snake | Chicago, Illinois | |
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T. s. pallidulus Allen, 1899 – maritime garter snake | northeastern New England, Quebec, and the Maritime provinces. |
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T. s. annectens B.C. Brown, 1950 – Texas garter snake | Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. |
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T. s. fitchi Fox, 1951 – valley garter snake | Rocky Mountains and interior ranges |
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T. s. similis Rossman, 1965 – blue-striped garter snake | northwestern peninsular Florida |
| T. s. lowei W. Tanner, 1988 | Chihuahua, Mexico |
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Thamnophis.
Etymology
The subspecific name fitchi is in honor of the American herpetologist Henry Sheldon Fitch.
The subspecific name lowei is in honor of the American herpetologist Charles Herbert Lowe.
The subspecific name pickeringii is in honor of the American naturalist Charles E. Pickering.
Description
Common garter snakes are thin snakes. Few 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.
Life history
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.
Venom
The saliva of a common garter snake may be toxic to amphibians and other small animals. Garter snakes have a mild venom in their saliva. For humans, a bite is not dangerous, though it may cause slight itching, burning, and/or swelling. Most common garter snakes also secrete a foul-smelling fluid from postanal glands when handled or harmed.
Common garter snakes are resistant to naturally found poisons such as that of the American toad and rough-skinned newt, the latter of which can kill a human if ingested. They have the ability to absorb the toxin from the newts into their bodies, making them poisonous, which can deter potential predators.
The common garter snake uses toxicity for both offense and defense. On the offensive side, the snake's venom can be toxic to some of its smaller prey, such as mice and other rodents. On the defensive side, the snake uses its resistance to toxicity to provide an important antipredator capability. A study on the evolutionary development of resistance of tetrodotoxin tested between two populations of Thamnophis and then tested inside a population of T. sirtalis. Those that were exposed to and lived in the same environment as the newts (Taricha granulosa) that produce tetrodotoxin when eaten were more immune to the toxin (see figure).
While resistance to tetrodotoxin is beneficial in acquiring newt prey, costs are associated with it as well. Consuming the toxin can lead to reduced speed and sometimes no movement for extended periods of time, along with impaired thermoregulation. The antipredator display that this species uses demonstrates the idea of an "arms race" between different species and their antipredator displays. Along the entire geographical interaction of T. granulosa and T. sirtalis, patches occur that correspond to strong coevolution, as well as weak or absent coevolution. Populations of T. sirtalis that do not live in areas that contain T. granulosa contain the lowest levels of tetrodotoxin resistance, while those that do live in the same area have the highest levels of tetrodotoxin resistance. In populations where tetrodotoxin is absent in T. granulosa, resistance in T. sirtalis is selected against because the mutation causes lower average population fitness. This helps maintain polymorphism within garter snake populations.
Reproduction
In the early part of sex, when snakes are coming out of hibernation, the males generally emerge first to be ready when the females wake up. Some males assume the role of a female and lead other males away from the burrow, luring them with a fake female pheromone. After such a male has led rivals away, he "turns" back into a male and races back to the den, just as the females emerge. He is then the first to mate with all the females he can catch. This method also serves to help warm males by tricking other males into surrounding and heating up the male, and is particularly useful to subspecies in colder climates (such as T. s. parietalis). Generally, populations include far more males than females, so during mating season, they form "mating balls", where one or two females are completely swamped by 10 or more males. Sometimes, a male snake mates with a female before hibernation, and the female stores the sperm internally until spring, when she allows her eggs to be fertilized. If she mates again in the spring, the fall sperm degenerate, and the spring sperm fertilize her eggs. The females may give birth ovoviviparously to 12 to 40 young from July through October.
Habitat
The habitat of the common garter snake ranges from forests, fields, and prairies to streams, wetlands, meadows, marshes, and ponds, and it is often found near water. It is found at altitudes from sea level to mountain locations. Depending on the subspecies, the common garter snake can be found as far south the southernmost tip of Florida in the U.S and as far north as the southernmost tip of the Northwest Territories in Canada.
Diet
The diet of T. sirtalis consists mainly of amphibians and earthworms, but also fish, small birds, and rodents. Common garter snakes are effective at catching fast-moving creatures such as fish and tadpoles.
As prey
Animals that prey on the common garter snake include large fish (such as bass and catfish), American bullfrogs, common snapping turtles, larger snakes, hawks, raccoons, foxes, wild turkeys, and domestic cats and dogs.
Conservation
Water contamination, urban expansion, and residential and industrial development are all threats to the common garter snake. The San Francisco garter snake (T. s. tetrataenia), which is extremely scarce and occurs only in the vicinity of ponds and reservoirs in San Mateo County, California, has been listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1967.
Antipredatory displays
Garter snakes exhibit many different anti-predatory behaviors, or behaviors that ward off predators. Morphology refers to the shape that the snake's body makes in response to the environment, predatory defense, mating, etc. The term body geometry may also be used to describe the shape a snake's body makes. Garter snakes exhibit a higher variation of morphology when compared to other snakes. Predation has been such an intense selection pressure throughout evolution, these snakes have developed body geometries that are highly variable and heritable. These morphologies have been concluded to be highly variable even within a single population. Different geometries indicate whether the snake is preparing to flee, fight, or protect itself. Since the traits are heritable, some evolutionary benefit must exist, such as warding off predators. Different biological factors such as body temperature and sex also influence whether the snake exhibits certain anti-predatory behaviors.
Studies show that the warmer the temperature of a garter snake, the more likely the snake is to flee a predator; a snake with a cooler body temperature remains stationary or attacks. However this is not always true. Male garter snakes are also more likely to flee. Garter snakes that exhibit more aggressive antipredatory displays tend to also be fast and have high stamina. However, the cause for correlation is unknown.
As said, temperature can play a part in the anti-predator behavior of the common garter snake. Temperature can also be the factor that determines whether the snake stays passive or attacks when provoked by a predator. For example, one study found that snakes are less likely to escalate in response to an attack when the temperature is lower. One study tested the activity of the snake in response to different temperatures while being provoked by touching or by almost touching. By recording the popular responses as passive or aggressive, the study concluded that as temperature goes down, so does the anti-predator response and general activity of the snake. Thus, temperature is important in determining the snake's anti-predatory responses.
The same study included the idea that the first response of the snake is actually a bluff. When the snake was teased with a finger, the snake reacted aggressively, but once touched, it became passive and did not react with any more violence. This is most likely because the snake will not attack an organism it sees as larger than itself. This behaviour was seen multiple times throughout the course of the experiment. Aposematism, or warning coloration, is another factor that influences anti-predator behavior. For example, the coral snake exhibits aposematic coloration that can be mimicked. While garter snakes do not exhibit mimicry or aposematic coloration, these snakes will freeze until they know they are spotted, then slowly and successively slither away, while spotted and unstriped snakes are more likely to deceptively flee from predators.
The decision of a juvenile garter snake to attack a predator can be affected by whether the snake has just eaten or not. Snakes that have just eaten are more likely to strike a predator or stimulus than snakes that do not have a full stomach. Snakes are more likely to flee a threatening situation if their stomachs are empty. Snakes that have just eaten a large animal are less mobile. Feeding positively affects endurance as opposed to speed.
Another factor that controls the anti-predatory response of the garter snake is where, on its body, the snake is attacked. Many birds and mammals prefer to attack the head of the snake. A research study found that garter snakes are more likely to hide their heads and move their tails back and forth when being attacked close to the head. The same study concluded that snakes that were attacked in the middle of their bodies were more likely to flee or exhibit open-mouthed warning reactions.
Time may be another factor that contributes to anti-predatory responses. Garter snakes are affected by maturation time. As snakes mature, the length of time at which garter snakes can display physical activity at 25 °C increases. Juvenile snakes can only be physically active for 3–5 minutes. Adult snakes can be physically active up to 25 minutes. This is mostly due to aerobic energy production; pulmonary aeration increases up to three times in adult garter snakes when compared to juveniles. The quick fatigue of the juveniles most certainly limits the habitats they can live in, as well as their food sources. It absolutely affects the anti-predator response of both juvenile and adult garter snakes; without sufficient energy production, the snake cannot exhibit any anti-predatory response.
Female garter snakes produce a specific pheromone. Some males of various species of garter snakes exhibit female behavior and morphology. This type of mimicry is primarily found in the red-sided garter snake. A portion of the males that exhibit female mimicry also secrete the sex-specific hormone to attract other males. In a study, these males mated with females significantly more often than males that did not exhibit this mimicry. A male pretending to be a female around other males increases his chances of reproduction and protects against stronger, more aggressive males.
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T. s. sirtalis (Ontario specimen)
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T. s. sirtalis (Quebec, Canada)
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T. s. sirtalis (Florida specimen)
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T. s. pallidulus
See also
In Spanish: Thamnophis sirtalis para niños
