| Shorthead garter snake | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Thamnophis |
| Species: | T. brachystoma |
| Binomial name | |
| Thamnophis brachystoma (Cope, 1892) | |
| Synonyms [3] | |
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Thamnophis brachystoma, commonly known as the shorthead garter snake or short-headed gartersnake, is a small species of colubrid snake. The species is endemic to the north-eastern United States.
The specific name brachystoma comes from the Greek words brachy, meaning short, and stoma, meaning mouth. [4]
T. brachystoma is a small species of snake, with a total length (including tail) of 254–559 mm (10.0–22.0 in). [4] There is no apparent distinction between the body and head. [4] Unlike Thamnophis sirtalis, there are no black spots between stripes in T. brachystoma. [4] Dorsal coloration tends to be olive or olive-green with three (1 dorsal, 2 lateral) beige to yellow stripes running the length of the body. [5] There is a distinct sexual dimorphism in this species with females being larger than males. [5]
T. brachystoma is found in small pockets in northwestern Pennsylvania and southwestern New York. [4] Outside of its natural range, there is an introduced population in Pittsburgh in southwestern Pennsylvania, [6] as well as Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio.
The shorthead garter snake is commonly found in old fields and meadows, but can occasionally be found in wooded areas. It is almost always found within several hundred meters of a field. It is believed that on sunny days it will be openly basking; however, when a population study was conducted, it was almost invariably found under objects such as wood and rocks. Individuals were only encountered in the open on cloudy days. [5]
T. brachystoma is slow to bite would be handlers, but will readily expel musk and feces from the cloaca. [5] Shorthead garter snakes can commonly be found near one another under cover objects, with no apparent correlation to seasonality or breeding cycles. [5]
In the wild, T. brachystoma feeds exclusively on earthworms. [5] However, in captivity shorthead garter snakes may consume other food items such as leeches, salamanders, frogs, and fish. [7] Prior to the introduction of non-native earthworms to North America, T. brachystoma would have primarily fed on native earthworms that were restricted to the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. [8] [9]
Reproduction in T. brachystoma occurs in spring shortly after emerging from the hibernacula. Females generally emerge with ovarian follicles already well developed. Females in New York breed every other year while females in Pennsylvania breed annually. Males use stored sperm for breeding. The testes are small after emergence, reaching full size by midsummer. After this point, sperm will be stored for later use in the spring. [5] T. brachystoma is believed to be viviparous, with experiments showing a transfer of amino acids between mother and offspring. [10]
Garter snake is the common name for small to medium-sized snakes belonging to the genus Thamnophis in the family Colubridae. Native to North and Central America, species in the genus Thamnophis can be found in all of the lower 48 United States, and nearly all of the Canadian provinces south of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut—with the exception of Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. They are found from the subarctic plains of west-central Canada east through Ontario and Quebec; from the Maritime Provinces and south to Florida, across the southern and central U.S. into the arid regions of the southwest and México, Guatemala and south to the neotropics and Costa Rica.
The common garter snake is a species of snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is indigenous to North America and found widely across the continent. There are several recognized subspecies. Most common garter snakes have a pattern of yellow stripes on a black, brown or green background, and their average total length 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). The common garter snake is the state reptile of Massachusetts.
The black swamp snake is a species of snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the southeastern United States. There are three subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies.
Thamnophis saurita, also known as the eastern ribbon snake, common ribbon snake, or simply ribbon snake, is a common species of garter snake native to Eastern North America. It is a non-venomous species of snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The ribbon snake averages 16 to 35 inches in total length. It is dark brown with bright yellow stripes. The ribbon snake is not sexually dimorphic; however, females are normally thicker than their male counterparts.
Roger Conant was an American herpetologist, author, educator and conservationist. He was Director Emeritus of the Philadelphia Zoo and adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico. He wrote one of the first comprehensive field guides for North American reptiles in 1958 entitled: A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, in the Peterson Field Guide series.
The San Francisco garter snake is a slender multi-colored subspecies of the common garter snake. Designated as an endangered subspecies since the year 1967, it is endemic to San Mateo County and the extreme northern part of coastal Santa Cruz County in California.
The Texas garter snake is a subspecies of the common garter snake. The subspecies, which belongs to the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae, is native to the western United States.
The checkered garter snake is a species of garter snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Storeria dekayi, commonly known as De Kay's brown snake, De Kay's snake, and simply the brown snake, is a small non-venomous species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to North America and Central America.
The plains garter snake is a species of garter snake native to most of the central United States as far north as Canada and as far south as Texas. It has a distinctive orange or yellow stripe from its head to tail, and the rest of its body is mainly a gray-green color. The snake is commonly found living near water sources such as streams and ponds, but can also be found in urban areas and vacant lots. Although the IUCN lists the species as "Least Concern", some states have given it their own special status. This species is mildly venomous, although the venom is not toxic to humans.
Butler's garter snake is a species of garter snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America.
The two-striped garter snake is a species of aquatic garter snake, which is endemic to western North America.
The northwestern garter snake is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America.
The narrow-headed garter snake, Thamnophis rufipunctatus, is a species of garter snake, endemic to the southwestern United States and adjacent northwestern Mexico. Its common names also include narrowhead garter snake and narrowhead watersnake.
The southern ribbon snake(Thamnophis saurita sackenii), also known commonly as the peninsula ribbon snake and the Florida ribbon snake, is a subspecies of garter snake in the family Colubridae. It is one of four subspecies of the ribbon snake.
Thamnophis proximus, commonly known as the western ribbon snake, is a species of garter snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the western United States, Mexico, and Central America. The species has six recognized subspecies.
The common watersnake is a species of large, nonvenomous, common snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to North America. It is frequently mistaken for the venomous cottonmouth.
The West Coast garter snake is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Mexico. Four subspecies are recognized.
The blackbelly garter snake is a species of snake of the family Colubridae. It is found in Mexico.
Thamnophis couchii, commonly known as Couch's garter snake, the Sierra garter snake, or the western aquatic garter snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the western United States.
