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The first garter snake to be scientifically described was the eastern garter snake (now Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis), by zoologist and taxonomist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The genus Thamnophis was described by Leopold Fitzinger in 1843 as the genus for the garter snakes and ribbon snakes. [ 2 ]
The scientific name Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis is a combination of Ancient Greek and New Latin that means "bush snake that looks like a garter strap". The generic name Thamnophis is derived from the Greek "thamnos" (bush) and "ophis" (snake) and the specific name sirtalis is derived from the New Latin "siratalis" (like a garter), a reference to the snake's color pattern resembling a striped ...
The checkered garter snake is one of the easiest garter snakes to tame. Even a wild-caught one can become tame in a few days if handled carefully. [citation needed] The checkered garter snake is frequently available in the exotic pet trade, and makes a hardy captive animal. [citation needed] It can be trained to accept mice or fish fillets as food.
This species is the only garter snake species with a well-documented tendency to constrict prey, although the constriction is inefficient when compared with the constriction of many other snakes (such as the gopher snake), involving disorganized, loose, and sometimes unstable coils and a longer time required to kill prey.
The Western terrestrial garter snake species is common in most habitats but spends a lot of time in water. These snakes are typically gray-brown or black with a checkered pattern and yellow ...
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). [2] [3] The average body mass is 150 g (5.3 oz). [4] The common garter snake is the state reptile of Massachusetts. [5]
The Puget Sound garter snake, (Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii) is a subspecies of the common garter snake. It is a snake indigenous to the Puget Sound. Most garter snakes have a pattern of yellow stripes on a brown background and their average length is about 1 metre (3.3 ft) to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft). The common garter snake is a diurnal snake ...
The red-sided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) is a subspecies of the common garter snake, in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. [1] This slender subspecies of natricine snake is indigenous to North America and is one of the recognized subspecies of Thamnophis sirtalis .