page_title: Garter snake
section_title: Species and subspecies
hierarchical_section_title: Garter snake / Species and subspecies
caption_attribution_description: Latina: Thamnophis cyrtopsis ocellatus English: Blackneck Garter Snake. Photographer: Dawson.
context_page_description: Garter snake is a common name for the generally harmless, small to medium-sized snakes belonging to the genus Thamnophis. Endemic to North and Central America, species in the genus Thamnophis can be found from the subarctic plains of Canada to Costa Rica. The common garter snake is the state reptile of Massachusetts.
  The length of garter snakes varies from 46 to 137cm, and it weighs approximately 140g. With no real consensus on the classification of species of Thamnophis, disagreement between taxonomists and sources such as field guides over whether two types of snakes are separate species or subspecies of the same species is common. Garter snakes are closely related to the genus Nerodia, with some species having been moved back and forth between genera.
context_section_description: Arranged alphabetically by scientific name:
  Aquatic garter snake, T. atratus (Kennicott, 1860)
  Santa Cruz garter snake, T. a. atratus (Kennicott, 1860)
  Oregon garter snake, T. a. hydrophilus Fitch, 1936
  Diablo Range garter snake, T. a. zaxanthus Boundy, 1999
  Bogert's garter snake, T. bogerti Rossman & Burbrink, 2005
  Shorthead garter snake, T. brachystoma (Cope, 1892)
  Butler's garter snake, T. butleri (Cope, 1889)
  Goldenhead garter snake, T. chrysocephalus (Cope, 1885)
  Conant's garter snake, T. conanti Rossman & Burbrink, 2005
  Sierra garter snake, T. couchii (Kennicott, 1859)
  Blackneck garter snake, T. cyrtopsis (Kennicott, 1860)
  Western blackneck garter snake, T. c. cyrtopsis (Kennicott, 1860)
  Eastern blackneck garter snake, T. c. ocellatus (Cope, 1880)
  Tropical blackneck garter snake, T. c. collaris (Jan, 1863)
  Western terrestrial garter snake, T. elegans (Baird & Girard, 1853)
  Arizona garter snake, T. e. arizonae W. Tanner & Lowe, 1989
  Mountain garter snake, T. e. elegans (Baird & Girard, 1853)
  San Pedro Mártir garter snake, T. e. hueyi Van Denburgh & Slevin, 1923
  Coastal garter snake, T. e. terrestris Fox, 1951
  Wandering garter snake, T. e. vagrans (Baird & Girard, 1853)
  Upper Basin garter snake, T. e. vascotanneri W. Tanner & Lowe, 1989
  Mexican garter snake, T. eques (Reuss, 1834)
  Mexican garter snake, T. e. eques (Reuss, 1834)
  Laguna Totolcingo garter snake, T. e. carmenensis Conant, 2003
  T. e. cuitzeoensis Conant, 2003
  T. e. diluvialis Conant, 2003
  T. e. insperatus Conant, 2003
  Northern Mexican garter snake, T. e. megalops (Kennicott, 1860)
  T. e. obscurus Conant, 2003
  T. e. patzcuaroensis Conant, 2003
  T. e. scotti Conant, 2003
  T. e. virgatenuis Conant, 1963
  Mexican wandering garter snake, T. errans H. M. Smith, 1942
  Montane garter snake, T. exsul Rossman, 1969
  Highland garter snake, T. fulvus (Bocourt, 1893)
  Giant garter snake, T. gigas Fitch, 1940
  Godman's garter snake, T. godmani (Günther, 1894)
  Two-striped garter snake, T. hammondii (Kennicott, 1860)
  Liner's garter snake, T. lineri Rossman & Burbrink, 2005
  Checkered garter snake, T. marcianus (Baird & Girard, 1853)
  T. m. marcianus (Baird & Girard, 1853)
  T. m. praeocularis (Bocourt, 1892)
  T. m. bovalli (Dunn, 1940)
  Blackbelly garter snake, T. melanogaster
  Gray blackbelly garter snake, T. m. canescens H. M. Smith, 1942
  Chihuahuan blackbelly garter snake, T. m. chihuahuanensis W. Tanner, 1959
  Lined blackbelly garter snake, T. m. linearis H. M. Smith, Nixon & P. W. Smith, 1950
  Mexican blackbelly garter snake, T. m. melanogaster (W. Peters, 1864)
  Tamaulipan montane garter snake, T. mendax Walker, 1955
  Southern Durango spotted garter snake, T. nigronuchalis Thompson, 1957
  Northwestern garter snake, T. ordinoides (Baird & Girard, 1852)
  Tepalcatepec Valley garter snake, T. postremus Smith, 1942
  Western ribbon snake, T. proximus (Say, 1823)
  Chiapas Highlands ribbon snake, T. p. alpinus Rossman, 1963
  Arid land ribbon snake, T. p. diabolicus Rossman, 1963
  Gulf Coast ribbon snake, T. p. orarius Rossman, 1963
  Orangestripe ribbon snake or western ribbon snake T. p. proximus (Say, 1823)
  Redstripe ribbon snake, T. p. rubrilineatus Rossman, 1963
  Mexican ribbon snake, T. p. rutiloris (Cope, 1885)
  Yellow-throated garter snake, T. pulchrilatus (Cope, 1885)
  Plains garter snake, T. radix (Baird & Girard, 1853)
  Rossman's garter snake, T. rossmani Conant, 2000
  Narrow-headed garter snake, T. rufipunctatus (Cope, 1875)
  Ribbon snake, T. sauritus (Linnaeus, 1766)
  Bluestripe ribbon snake, T. s. nitae Rossman, 1963
  Southern ribbon snake, T. s. sackenii (Kennicott, 1859)
  Eastern ribbon snake, T. s. sauritus (Linnaeus, 1766)
  Northern ribbon snake, T. s. septentrionalis Rossman, 1963
  Longtail alpine garter snake, T. scalaris (Cope, 1861)
  Short-tail alpine garter snake, T. scaliger (Jan, 1863)
  Common garter snake, T. sirtalis
  Texas garter snake, T. s. annectens Brown, 1950 
  Red-spotted garter snake, T. s. concinnus (Hallowell, 1852)
  New Mexico garter snake, T. s. dorsalis (Baird & Girard, 1853)
  valley garter snake, T. s. fitchi Fox, 1951
  California red-sided garter snake, T. s. infernalis (Blain
caption: The eastern blackneck garter snake (Thamnophis cyrtopsis ocellatus)
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