Garter snake is a group of harmless snakes familiar throughout the United States. These snakes vary greatly in color. Most states have at least one kind of garter snake. These snakes also live in southern Canada, Mexico, and Central America.
It is easy to recognize most garter snakes by the three light stripes that run along the body. One runs down the middle of the back, and the others are on each side near the belly. In many species (kinds), a pattern like a checkerboard fills the spaces between the stripes. The various kinds of garter snakes differ in size. Grown females are usually 20 to 30 inches (51 to 76 centimeters) long. Males are slightly shorter and much thinner. Two kinds of garter snakes, called ribbon snakes, have an extremely slender body. The red-sided garter snake lives farther north than any other reptile in the Western Hemisphere. It is found as far north as northern Canada.
Three things make garter snakes different from many other American snakes. (1) They like to live in the parks of cities and towns. In the spring and warm autumn when snakes are most active, many people in the suburbs find them in backyards and gardens. (2) They bear their young alive instead of laying eggs. The size of a litter varies, but the average is 18. Records show one brood of 80. (3) They catch and eat other cold-blooded animals, such as frogs, salamanders, and fishes. The young of some species of garter snakes eat earthworms.
