Plains Garter Snake
Scientific Name: Thamnophis Radix
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The Plains Garter Snake features an anal plate that is not divided, keeled back scales, labial scales that feature black margins, a mid-back stripe of yellow to orange color, and scale rows three to four featuring side stripes. Lengthwise, this snake stretches to a hundred centimeters or so, is predominantly black or dark brown, with a gray and yellow stripe down each side. The belly is gray to green, with dark on its edges. A pair of lightly colored spots can be seen on the top of its head.
Plains Garter Snakes Are Beautiful Creatures
Facts About Plains Garter Snakes
Geographic Location
The Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta and the American states of Wyoming, Wisconsin, Texas, South and North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, New Mexico, Nebraska, Montana, Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, and Colorado comprise the North American range of this snake.
Habitat
This snake can be found in former prairies of black soil, vacant lots, marshes, wet meadows, pastures, mammal burrows, road embankments, underneath rocks and logs, and cultivated fields.
Behavior
This snake can tolerate cold weather, and often likes to bask on warm winter days. This is a docile snake and does not bite easily when handled. These snakes feed on small amphibians, slugs, carrion, birds eggs, mice, salamanders, fish, and earthworms. As active thermo-regulators, they bask and feed alternatively throughout a particular day.
Reproduction
The mating months for the Plains Garter Snake are April through May, which results to five to thirty hatchlings, in the months of August to early October. These newborns are about fifteen to twenty five centimeters long.
Captivity
They feed through overpowering prey using their strong jaws, as they are non-venomous and are not constrictors. When confronted by danger, they wag and raise their tails, and hide their head under coils they form with the rest of their bodies. Sometimes, they release excrement and musk are released to discourage new people.
