Garter snakes - there is a huge variety.

These are some of the garter snakes I have caught and photographed over the years.

Native to North America, the garter snake is one of the most common and oft-caught reptiles.  There are 35 recognized species, but about 50 recognized subspecies.  The common garter snake has the largest number of subspecies, with a total of 13 known for the common garter snake.

The common garter snake also has the widest distribution of any reptile in North America, where it can be found in all Canadian provinces and territories, including Newfoundland, where they were first observed in 2010.  Since garter snakes are unable to travel great distances, they form isolated breeding populations where subspeciation has an opportunity to occur.  

The photos above include the common garter snake (bottom left two), the western terrestrial garter snake (bottom right two), the plains garter snake (top right) , and the northwestern garter snake (center left).  The top two left snakes and the only central one are also common garter snakes, although they are different subspecies.

I have only ever been bitten once by a garter snake (the one I am holding); most of the time they are easily handled and should be released unharmed.  Their diet is quite amazing in that they will eat slugs, worms, insects, and, of course, mice, rats, and frogs - something they are well known for.  Garter snakes also eat their fair share of fish, as I discovered with one that I captured and caged for a week or two many years ago.  They may eat birds, but that is fairly rare, at least in my experience.

The next time you see a garter snake, enjoy the marvel of how amazing they are, and handle it gently if you do catch it.  Also, wash your hands afterwards, as all snakes carry Salmonella.  Release it where you found it.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com


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