Garter snakes are afforded no protection in Iowa. Eastern garter snakes are found statewide. It is non venomous. The ground color is light brown to black with two alternating rows of black spots.
Some specimens have a lighter brown background color in which the spots stand out especially well.
There are three longitudinal stripes. The dorsal stripe is usually yellow. The lateral stripes are cream to yellow and are located on the second and third scale rows. There is usually a row of black spots below the lateral stripes. The belly may be white, yellowish, or bluish.