Common Garter Snake

== Description ==
The common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis ) is a species of natricine snake, which is indigenous to North America and found widely across the continent. Most common garter snakes have a pattern of yellow stripes on a black, brown or green background, and their average total length (including tail) is about 55 cm (22 in), with a maximum total length of about 137 cm (54 in). The average body mass is 150 g (5.3 oz). Common garter snakes are the state reptile of Massachusetts.
== Appearance ==
Common garter snakes are thin snakes. Few grow over about 4 ft (1.2 m) long, and most stay smaller. Most have longitudinal stripes in many different colors. Common garter snakes come in a wide range of colors, including green, blue, yellow, gold, red, orange, brown, and black.
== Distribution ==
The habitat of the common garter snake ranges from forests, fields, and prairies to streams, wetlands, meadows, marshes, and ponds, and it is often found near water. Depending on the subspecies, the common garter snake can be found as far south the southernmost tip of Florida in the United States and as far north as the southernmost tip of the Northwest Territories in Canada. It is found at altitudes from sea level to mountains.
== Lifestyle ==
Common garter snakes are active mainly during the day and are active through a wider range of temperatures than most snakes. They hibernate from late October through March or early April, but can be found basking on rocks during mild winter days. Common garter snakes hibernate in natural cavities or burrows, such as rodent burrows, crayfish burrows, under rock piles, or in stumps. Some populations may have to travel fairly long distances to get to their hibernation sites from their summer feeding and breeding areas. Common garter snakes are mainly solitary but congregate in large numbers at good places to hibernate over the winter. They hibernate together to ensure that they maintain a minimum body temperature for survival. Lying together and forming tight coils, garter snakes can prevent heat loss and keep their bodies warmer.Like other cold blooded animals, common garter snakes use thermoregulation to control their body temperature. They bask in the sun during the morning hours to maintain a preferred body temperature between 28° and 32° C throughout the day. During the evening hours their body temperature falls rapidly depending on the type of shelter they have chosen for the evening. To prevent their body temperature from falling too low, many garter snakes sleep together to maintain a warm environment, such as they do when they hibernate.
== Venom ==
The saliva of a common garter snake may be toxic to amphibians and other small animals. Garter snakes have a mild venom in their saliva. For humans, a bite is not dangerous, though it may cause slight itching, burning, and/or swelling. Common garter snakes may also secrete a foul-smelling fluid from postanal glands when handled or harmed. Common garter snakes are resistant to naturally found poisons such as that of the American toad and rough-skinned newt, the latter of which can kill a human if ingested. They have the ability to absorb the toxin from the newts into their bodies, making them poisonous, which can deter potential predators. The common garter snake uses toxicity for both offense and defense. On the offensive side, the snake's venom can be toxic to some of its smaller prey, such as mice and other rodents. On the defensive side, the snake uses its resistance to toxicity to provide an important antipredator capability. A study on the evolutionary development of resistance of tetrodotoxin compared two populations of Thamnophis and then tested inside a population of T. sirtalis. Those that were exposed to and lived in the same environment as the newts (Taricha granulosa ) or rough-skinned newt, that produce tetrodotoxin when eaten were more immune to the toxin (see figure).It seems that the two species were in a evolutionary arms race.
== Diet ==
The diet of T. sirtalis consists mainly of amphibians and earthworms, but also fish, small birds, and rodents. Common garter snakes are effective at catching fast-moving creatures such as fish and tadpoles.
== Reproduction ==
Generally, populations include far more males than females, so during mating season, they form "mating balls", in which one or two females are completely swamped by ten or more males. Sometimes a male snake mates with a female before hibernation, and the female stores the sperm internally until spring, when she allows her eggs to be fertilized. If she mates again in the spring, the fall sperm degenerate and the spring sperm fertilize her eggs. The females may give birth ovoviviparously to 12 to 40 young from July through October.
== Population ==
=== Conservation ===
Water contamination, urban expansion, and residential and industrial development are all threats to the common garter snake. The San Francisco garter snake (T. s. tetrataenia ), which is extremely scarce and occurs only in the vicinity of ponds and reservoirs in San Mateo County, California, has been listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1967.
== Gallery ==
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== Main References ==
https://animalia.bio/common-garter-snake
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Thamnophis_sirtalis/
Category:Animals
Category:Animalia
Category:Chordata
Category:Vertebrates
Category:Vertebrata
Category:Reptiles
Category:Reptilia
Category:Squamata
Category:Serpentes
Category:Colubridae
Category:Snakes
Category:Thamnophis
Category:Diurnal Animals
Category:Carnivores
Category:Terrestrial Animals
Category:Polygynandrous Animals
Category:Polygamous Animals
Category:Solitary Animals
Category:Hibernators
Category:Migrational Animals
Category:North American Animals
Category:Animals of Mexico
Category:Animals of Canada
Category:Animals of the United States
Category:Least Concern Animals