How do you tell if a garter snake is a female?
Those with some experience may be able to identify males by the taper of their tails. According to garter snake guru Jonathan Crowe at gartersnake.info, males have longer and thicker tails than females. Female tails are narrower, shorter and taper more sharply.
Do male and female garter snakes look different?
While adult male and female garter snakes look alike, girls are typically longer and bulkier. Mature males average about 16 to 24 inches in length, while females reach about 30 to 36 inches long, depending upon species.
How do you tell a garter snake apart?
Telling Garter Snakes and Ribbon Snakes Apart
- A thin body.
- A long tail.
- Narrower heads than garter snakes’ heads.
- Side stripes on the third and fourth scale rows.
- Unmarked labial scales.
- A white spot in front of the eye; garter snakes don’t have one.
How long do garter snakes live?
4-5 years
Garter Snake Life Span The average life span in the wild may only be 4-5 years however they can live twice as long in captivity.
What time of year do garter snakes have babies?
Common garter snakes are ovoviviparous (bearing live young). The young are incubated in the lower abdomen, about half way down from the snake’s body. Gestation is usually two to three months. Most females in the northern parts of their range give birth to from 4 to 80 young between late July and October.
What looks like a garter snake?
Ribbon snakes resemble the closely-related eastern garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis), however ribbon snakes are generally more slender, have unpatterned lip scales, and the lateral stripes are found on scale rows 3 and 4 (in garter snakes they are on rows 2 and 3). They have a plain yellowish belly, and keeled scales.
Where do garter snakes nest?
Garter snakes hibernate during the winter in large dens called hibernacula. These dens tend to be in relatively secluded and warm spaces, such as underneath a house or in an attic. Removing the snakes and placing them outside in the cold will most likely kill them, so you have to be careful with what you do.
What does it mean when you see a garter snake?
“It’s an indicator of a healthy ecosystem, to have a snake in your yard [or garden],” said Melissa Amarello, co-founder and director of education for Advocates for Snake Preservation. “It means you have a friendly yard going on, enough to support a predator.”