Checkered Gartersnake

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non venomous

Scientific Name:

Thamnophis marcianus

Family:

Colubridae

Photo by: Quentin Stiles

Keeled dorsal scales in rows of no more than 21 near mid-body, light brown and black bodies with a yellow stripe running the length of its body

How to identify:

Coloration:

Dark checkerboard pattern found running entire length of body.

Checkerboard blotches are on an olive background and even overlap a light colored middorsal stripe.

Two additional two white or yellow lateral stripes are found along the second and third dorsal scale rows (near the head, this stripe is found only on the third scale row).

Dorsal surface below lateral stripe may be a lighter shade of green or grey, lighter than the upper dorsal surface.

Two yellow or white crescents present directly behind the corner of the mouth, with a large black blotch placed behind each crescent.

Belly is mostly without dark markings, except for blotches along the lateral edges of the ventrals.

Diet:

Carnivore

Size:

Checkered Gartersnakes are not typically longer than 24in but one example of this snake measured over a whopping 42in long including the tail

Habitat:

They live near water source, whether it be a pond, stream or irrigation canal, though the nearby water source is not always visible above ground.

Range of habitat:

Checkered Garter Snakes can be found from Mexico to Costa Rica to Central Texas

Orange counties indicate new records since previous Herps of Texas updated in 1998; all other colors represent counties with known Checkered Garter snake population prior to 1998