Click Here for Mobile Access - http://mobile.kingsnake.com
Locate a business by name: click to list your business
search the classifieds. buy an account
search all kingsnake.com
News & Events: Herp Video of the Week: Bath time! . . . . . . . . . .  West African Gaboon viper may hold secret to ultimate darkness . . . . . . . . . .  Repticon Baltimore - May 25-26, 2013 . . . . . . . . . .  Edmonton Reptile and Amphibian Society S - May 25 - 26, 2013 . . . . . . . . . .  ETHS Meeting - May 31. 2013 . . . . . . . . . .  Texas Reptile Expo - June 1-2, 2013 . . . . . . . . . .  Repticon Central Georgia - June 01-02, 2013 . . . . . . . . . .  Repticon Baton Rouge - June 01-02, 2013 . . . . . . . . . .  All Maryland Reptile Show - June 1, 2013 . . . . . . . . . .  WNYHS Spring Show Sale - June 2, 2013 . . . . . . . . . .  Steel City Reptile Expo - June 2, 2013 . . . . . . . . . .  Hampton Roads Reptile Expo - June 02, 2013 . . . . . . . . . . 
follow us on facebook follow us on twitter follow us on YouTube follow us on kingsnake connect
click to return to kingsnake.com index

Reptile and Amphibian Encyclopedia > Snakes > Garter & Ribbon Snakes

Garter & Ribbon Snakes

A garter snake is any species of North American snake within the genus Thamnophis. Because of the similarity in the sound of the words, combined with where people often see them, they are sometimes called garden snakes, gardner snakes or gardener snakes, or even garder snakes or guarder snakes. They are harmless to humans. Garter snakes are common across North America, from Canada to Central America, and they are the single most widely distributed genus of reptile in North America. In fact, the common garter snake, T. sirtalis, is the only species of snake to be found in Alaska, and is one of the northernmost species of snake in the world, possibly second only to the Crossed Viper, Vipera berus. The genus is so far ranging due to its unparticular diet and adaptability to different biomes and landforms, from marshes to hillsides to drainage ditches and even vacant lots, in both dry and wet regions, with varying proximity to water and rivers. However, in the western part of North America, these snakes are more water loving than in the eastern portion. Northern populations hibernate in larger groups than southern ones.

  • Longnose Garter Snake - Thamnophis angustirostris (Kennicott, 1860)
  • Aquatic Garter Snake - Thamnophis atratus
    • Santa Cruz Garter Snake - Thamnophis atratus atratus (Kennicott, 1860)
    • Oregon Garter Snake - Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus (Fitch, 1936)
    • Diablo Range Garter Snake - Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus (Boundy, 1999)
  • Shorthead Garter Snake - Thamnophis brachystoma (Cope, 1892)
  • Butler's Garter Snake - Thamnophis butleri (Cope, 1889)
  • Goldenhead Garter Snake - Thamnophis chrysocephalus (Cope, 1885)
  • Western Aquatic Garter Snake - Thamnophis couchii (Kennicott, 1859)
  • Blackneck Garter Snake - Thamnophis cyrtopsis
    • Western Blackneck Garter Snake - Thamnophis cyrtopsis cyrtopsis (Kennicott, 1860)
    • Eastern Blackneck Garter Snake - Thamnophis cyrtopsis ocellatus (Cope, 1880)
    • Tropical Blackneck Garter Snake - Thamnophis cyrtopsis collaris (Jan, 1863)
    • Tepalcatepec Valley Garter Snake - Thamnophis cyrtopsis postremus (Smith, 1942)
    • Yellow-throated Garter Snake - Thamnophis cyrtopsis pulchrilatus (Cope, 1885)
  • Western Terrestrial Garter Snake, - Thamnophis elegans
    • Arizona Garter Snake - Thamnophis elegans arizonae (Tanner & Lowe, 1989)
    • Mountain Garter Snake - Thamnophis elegans elegans (Baird & Girard, 1853)
    • Mexican Wandering Garter Snake - Thamnophis elegans errans (Smith, 1942)
    • Coast Garter Snake - Thamnophis elegans terrestris (Fox, 1951)
    • Wandering Garter Snake - Thamnophis elegans vagrans (Baird & Girard, 1853)
    • Upper Basin Garter Snake - Thamnophis elegans vascotanneri (Tanner & Lowe, 1989)
    • Sierra San Pedro Mártir Garter Snake - Thamnophis elegans hueyi (Van Denburgh & Slevin, 1923)
  • Thamnophis eques
    • Mexican Garter Snake - Thamnophis eques eques (Reuss, 1834)
    • Laguna Totolcingo Garter Snake - Thamnophis eques carmenensis (Conant, 2003)
    • Thamnophis eques cuitzeoensis (Conant, 2003)
    • Thamnophis eques diluvialis (Conant, 2003)
    • Thamnophis eques insperatus (Conant, 2003)
    • Northern Mexican Garter Snake - Thamnophis eques megalops (Kennicott, 1860)
    • Thamnophis eques obscurus (Conant, 2003)
    • Thamnophis eques patzcuaroensis (Conant, 2003)
    • Thamnophis eques scotti (Conant, 2003)
    • Thamnophis eques virgatenuis (Conant, 1963)
  • Montane Garter Snake - Thamnophis exsul (Rossman, 1969)
  • Highland Garter Snake - Thamnophis fulvus (Bocourt, 1893)
  • Giant Garter Snake - Thamnophis gigas (Fitch, 1940)
  • Godman's Garter Snake - Thamnophis godmani (Günther, 1894)
  • Two-striped Garter Snake - Thamnophis hammondii (Kennicott, 1860)
  • Checkered Garter Snake - Thamnophis marcianus (Baird & Girard, 1853)
  • Blackbelly Garter Snake - Thamnophis melanogaster
    • Gray Blackbelly Garter Snake - Thamnophis melanogaster canescens (Smith, 1942)
    • Chihuahuan Blackbelly Garter Snake - Thamnophis melanogaster chihuahuanensis (Tanner, 1959)
    • Lined Blackbelly Garter Snake - Thamnophis melanogaster linearis (Smith, Nixon & Smith, 1950)
    • Mexican Blackbelly Garter Snake - Thamnophis melanogaster melanogaster (Peters, 1864)
  • Tamaulipan Montane Garter Snake - Thamnophis mendax (Walker, 1955)
  • Northwestern Garter Snake - Thamnophis ordinoides (Baird & Girard, 1852)
  • Western Ribbon Snake - Thamnophis proximus
    • Chiapas Highland Ribbon Snake - Thamnophis proximus alpinus (Rossman, 1963)
    • Arid Land Ribbon Snake - Thamnophis proximus diabolicus (Rossman, 1963)
    • Gulf Coast Ribbon Snake - Thamnophis proximus orarius (Rossman, 1963)
    • Western Ribbon Snake - Thamnophis proximus proximus (Say, 1823)
    • Redstripe Ribbon Snake - Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus (Rossman, 1963)
    • Mexican Ribbon Snake - Thamnophis proximus rutiloris (Cope, 1885)
  • Eastern Plains Garter Snake - Thamnophis radix (Baird & Girard, 1853)
  • Rossman's Garter Snake - Thamnophis rossmani (Conant, 2000)
  • Narrowhead Garter Snake - Thamnophis rufipunctatus
    • Thamnophis rufipunctatus nigronuchalis (Thompson, 1957)
    • Thamnophis rufipunctatus unilabialis (Tanner, 1985)
    • Thamnophis rufipunctatus rufipunctatus (Cope, 1875)
  • Ribbon Snake - Thamnophis sauritus Common Garter Snake
  • Longtail Alpine Garter Snake - Thamnophis scalaris (Cope, 1861)
  • Short-tail Alpine Garter Snake - Thamnophis scaliger (Jan, 1863)
  • Common Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis
    • Texas Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis annectens (Brown, 1950)
    • Red-spotted Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis concinnus (Hallowell, 1852)
    • New Mexico Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis dorsalis (Baird & Girard, 1853)
    • Valley Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi (Fox, 1951)
    • California Red-sided Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis (Blainville, 1835)
    • Thamnophis sirtalis lowei (Tanner, 1988)
    • Maritime Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis pallidula (Allen, 1899)
    • Red-sided Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis (Say, 1823)
    • Puget Sound Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii (Baird & Girard, 1853)
    • Bluestripe Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis similis (Rossman, 1965)
    • Eastern Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis (Linnaeus, 1758)
    • Chicago Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis semifasciatus (Cope, 1892)
    • San Francisco Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia (Cope, 1875)
  • Sumichrast's Garter Snake - Thamnophis sumichrasti (Cope, 1866)
  • West Coast Garter Snake - Thamnophis valida
    • Mexican Pacific Lowlands Garter Snake - Thamnophis valida celaeno (Cope, 1860)
    • Thamnophis valida isabellae (Conant, 1953)
    • Thamnophis valida thamnophisoides (Conant, 1961)
    • Thamnophis valida valida (Kennicott, 1860)

Sponsored By

advertise here

Herp Events

Reptile and amphibian expos, symposiums, zoo and museum exhibitions and other educational events are great places to ask questions, get answers and network with other herp keepers.
Upcoming Reptile and Amphibian Events:
Submit a non-profit event - Purchase a commercial listing

Photo Gallery

Our gallery allows registered users to upload their favorite reptile and amphibian photos to the topic galleries and personal photos to the member galleries. Photos can be used on our forums, classifieds, and Connect, or shared with friends and family.

more photos   upload a photo

snakes
lizards
amphibians
chelonians
crocodilians
venomous

New/Updated

Looking for a reptile or amphibian related business? A reptile store, breeder, importer, maunfacturer or supplier? Our business directory lists some of the most popluar herp businesses in the world.
Locate a reptile or amphibian business by name:
New
 - Hudson Valley Herps
 - Bearded Dragons and other C...
 - Don Stipp Reptiles
 - Northwest Zoological Supply
 - Waterland Tubs
 - Painted Reptile
 - Serenity Serpents
 - Kemps Reptile Incubators
 - Reptile Addicts
 - Gecko Daddy
Updated
 - Wreck Room Snakes
 - Nicebalz.com
 - Bushmaster Reptiles
 - Living Art Reptiles
 - Ralph Davis Reptiles
 - Eden Reptiles
 - T and T Dragons and Ball Py...
 - Misting System Kits by Eco ...
 - Steve Winkler Reptiles
 - Bailey & Bailey Reptiles
list your business on kingsnake.com

Connect

kingsnake.com's Connect is a beta project being developed to let the herp community stay in touch with their friends and fellow hobbyists, keep each other up to date on legislative issues as they develop, and to build and strengthen the herp community network. Registered users of kingsnake.com can use it to share photos, links, information, alerts, updates and more.
log in   find connections







Video Gallery

Check out these reptile and amphibian submitted by staff, volunteers, and users of the kingsnake.com community. Our system supports videos hosted on YouTube. If you have a favorite YouTube video, please submit it here.

more videos       submit a video

Site Tools

Manage - manage your user and advertising accounts
Register For A User Account Click Here
Manage Your User Profile Click Here
Reset Your Password Click Here
Change Your Email Click Here
Manage Your Banner Account/View Stats Click Here
Manage Your Business Directory Listing Click Here
Mark Your Business Directory Listing As Updated Click Here
Manage Your Classified Account Click Here
Post A Classified Advertisement Click Here
Remove A Classified Advertisement Click Here
Purchase - advertising and services purchase quick links
Purchase a classified account$20.00-$85.00Click Here
Renew a classified account$20.00-$85.00Click Here
Upgrade to an enhanced classified$ variesClick Here
Purchase a business directory listing$150 a yearClick Here
Purchase a banner advertisement$ variesClick Here
Purchase a standard event listing$100 a listingClick Here
Pay an open invoice Click Here
Contact the sales department Click Here
Support - help, tips, & resources quick links
Classified Account Terms Of Service Click Here
Classified Help Click Here
Classified Tips Click Here
Classified Complaints Click Here
Banner Ad Help Click Here
DBA Search Click Here
Business Name Registration Verification Click Here
Are you registered? To advertise here using a business name you must have your legal business name registration verified. Click here for details on the program or to register your business FREE!

Glossary

  Search reptile or amphibian businesses by keyword:
  search the classifieds. buy an account
state/province law database
search the forums.
search in: