Aquatic Garter Snake
Encyclopedia
The aquatic garter snake, Thamnophis atratus, is a species
of colubrid
snake. Three subspecies
are currently recognized.
One variety of this snake has a blue-gray background color with a faint olive-colored dorsal stripe and white dots along its sides. Another morph has a yellow dorsal stripe with black spots along its sides. The second variation has the more classic garter snake
look; however, due to its behavior and scalation, it is grouped in this species.
, it will flick its tongue above the water to mimic an insect
that a small fish would usually eat, thus luring the prey into its mouth.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of colubrid
Colubrid
A colubrid is a member of the snake family Colubridae. This broad classification of snakes includes about two-thirds of all snake species on earth. The earliest species of the snake family date back to the Oligocene epoch. With 304 genera and 1,938 species, Colubridae is the largest snake family...
snake. Three subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
are currently recognized.
Description
Growing up to 18-40 inches (46–102 cm) long, this snake's dorsal coloration varies greatly. The different coloration patterns are: pale gray with alternating rows of darker blotches on the sides, dark brown with borders that are less distinct, or nearly all black. A long yellow stripe running down the back may be present or absent, only confined to the neck, or just very indistinct. The throat and underside of the snake are whitish to yellow.One variety of this snake has a blue-gray background color with a faint olive-colored dorsal stripe and white dots along its sides. Another morph has a yellow dorsal stripe with black spots along its sides. The second variation has the more classic garter snake
Garter snake
The Garter snake is a Colubrid snake genus common across North America, ranging from Alaska and Canada to Central America. It is the single most widely distributed genus of reptile in North America. The garter snake is also the Massachusettsstate reptile.There is no real consensus on the...
look; however, due to its behavior and scalation, it is grouped in this species.
Habitat
It can most commonly be found on the edges of bushlands, woodlands, grasslands, and forests near ponds, marshes, streams and lakes.Behavior
When feeling threatened this snake will seek shelter in a nearby water source. Occasionally, while the snake is hunting for food in a streamStream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
, it will flick its tongue above the water to mimic an insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
that a small fish would usually eat, thus luring the prey into its mouth.
Subspecies
- Santa Cruz Garter Snake, Thamnophis atratus atratus (KennicottRobert KennicottRobert Kennicott was an American naturalist.-Biography:Kennicott was born in New Orleans and grew up in "West Northfield" , Illinois, a town in the prairie north of the then nascent city of Chicago....
, 1860) - OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
Garter Snake, Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus FitchHenry Sheldon FitchHenry Sheldon Fitch was an American herpetologist.Fitch was born in Utica, New York. When he was a year old, the family moved to Medford in the Rogue Valley in Oregon. Growing up, he had a keen interest in all the reptiles he could find on his father's 116 acre ranch...
, 1936 - Diablo RangeDiablo RangeThe Diablo Range is a mountain range in the California Coast Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Coast Ranges. It is located in the eastern San Francisco Bay area south to the Salinas Valley area of northern California, the United States.-Geography:...
Garter Snake, Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus Boundy, 1999