What is the biggest garter snake?

The giant garter snake
The giant garter snake is the largest species of garter snake, with the adult snakes ranging from 94–165 cm (3.1–5.4 ft) in length. As with many snakes, the female giant garter snakes tend to be longer and larger than the males.

How big do garter snakes get?

Garter snakes are usually 2-3 feet in length when full grown. However, Common garter snakes have been recorded in lengths nearing 4 feet. At birth most garter snakes are less than 6 inches long. They grow little from birth in the late summer until their first spring.

How long is a garter snake?

Garter snakes are small to moderate in size—usually less than 100 cm (39 inches) long—and quite harmless. If handled, they struggle and discharge a foul secretion from the anal gland; some will strike.

How big can eastern garter snakes get?

Description: Thamnophis sirtalis is usually 18 – 26 in (45.7 – 66 cm) long, but occasionally reaches lengths up to 49 in (124 cm). Most individuals can be distinguished from other species by the presence of three yellow longitudinal stripes down a dark body.

Are garter snakes friendly?

Not so garter snakes, the harmless serpents that live throughout North America and part of Central America. Researchers have discovered that garter snakes not only prefer to hang out together, but also seem to have “friends” with whom they spend much of their time.

Will a garter snake bite you?

Potential problems with garter snakes

Like we said above, while they’re relatively harmless, they can bite. So you don’t want to get too close to its mouth and certainly want to teach small children to stay away from them, even if they’re not poisonous.

Are garter snakes fast?

Garter snakes are generally active during the day. Beane described them as “relatively fast-moving [and] highly terrestrial, but [some] may climb into shrubs or vines; some species climb more than others.” Wildscreen’s ARKive Initiative pointed out that some species are also excellent swimmers.

Are garter snakes aggressive?

Garter snakes are not particularly dangerous to humans. Their bite force is fairly weak, and their venom is not potent enough to kill or harm humans. Additionally, they are usually non-aggressive and tend to avoid people.

Can a garter snake bite hurt a dog?

A garter snake Bite is not likely to be dangerously toxic to your dog, some swelling will probably occur and if the swelling is too severe you should definitely take him to the vet to get treatment, but he should be fine otherwise.

Can garter snakes swim underwater?

Also, it doesn’t dive underwater, nor appear aggres- sive, both traits characteristic of northern water snakes. I decide it must be a common garter snake, but one with markings that are not typical.

What is the difference between a garden snake and a garter snake?

Many people call garter snakes – some of the most common, widespread and frequently observed snakes in North America – “garden snakes,” a reflection of their common occurrence in yards and farm plots. In other words, a garter snake and a garden snake are one and the same.

Where do garter snakes nest?

Garter snakes prefer tall grass, marshland (near water), forested areas. While in these environments, snakes may seek shelter in tree hollows, under logs, leaf litter, underground holes, rock outcroppings and/or burrows that have been abandoned by other animals.

How can you tell if a garter snake is male or female?

Those with some experience may be able to identify males by the taper of their tails. According to garter snake guru Jonathan Crowe at gartersnake.info, males have longer and thicker tails than females. Female tails are narrower, shorter and taper more sharply.

How many babies does a garter snake have?

Most litters range from 10 to 40 young and litter size depends on the size of the female, with larger females giving birth to larger litters. Upon birth, baby garter snakes are independent and must find food on their own. Common garter snakes breed once each year.

Do garter snakes eat spiders?

Their favorite foods include amphibians, leeches, crayfish, small fish, worms, pillbugs, spiders, crayfish and a variety of insects. Garter snakes are diurnal (active in the daytime) and are excellent swimmers. As is true of all snakes, they are carnivorous.

Are female or male garter snakes bigger?

First of all, garter snake females get much larger than males. A good rule of thumb for the most commonly kept species is that males reach a length of about two feet (60 cm), while females can reach around three feet (90 cm).

What do you feed a pet garter snake?

While captive garter snakes can be fed predominantly frozen thawed rodents, occasionally they can be offered other prey items such as earthworms, fresh whole feeder fish, frogs, or toads. Adult snakes can be fed once every 7-10 days. Immature, growing, or pregnant snakes should be fed every 4-5 days.

How big are garter snake eggs?

1-5 in
Snake eggs are usually white, beige, or off-white and are oblong in shape. Their size can range from 1-5 in (2.5-12.7 cm).

How do you tell a garter snake apart?

Telling Garter Snakes and Ribbon Snakes Apart
  1. A thin body. …
  2. A long tail. …
  3. Narrower heads than garter snakes’ heads.
  4. Side stripes on the third and fourth scale rows. …
  5. Unmarked labial scales. …
  6. A white spot in front of the eye; garter snakes don’t have one.

How can you tell if a garter snake is pregnant?

You can tell a female has become gravid when her skin stretches, spreading out her scales. A gravid female’s appetite will increase dramatically (I feed gravid females every other day) until a week or so before giving birth, when she’ll quit eating entirely.

Do garter snakes fight each other?

Do they really fight, and how would someone distinguish it from mating behavior? A: Yes, males of some snakes engage in combat, but the phenomenon has been observed so infrequently that a complete understanding of the process is lacking, as is a full inventory of which species engage in the behavior.

Is a garter snake a ribbon snake?

Ribbon snakes resemble the closely-related eastern garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis), however ribbon snakes are generally more slender, have unpatterned lip scales, and the lateral stripes are found on scale rows 3 and 4 (in garter snakes they are on rows 2 and 3). They have a plain yellowish belly, and keeled scales.