---
title: "What the sources say about the Common Garter Snake | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "50 claims from the Common Garter Snake profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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# What the sources say about the Common Garter Snake (*Thamnophis sirtalis*)

> 50 claims from the Common Garter Snake profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Common Garter Snake](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/common-garter-snake/)

## Thamnophis sirtalis. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Thamnophis_sirtalis/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A North American snake | They occur throughout much of North America (note: tagline range) |
| Meadows, marshes, woodlands and hillsides, often near water, across much of North America | including meadows, marshes, woodlands, and hillsides (note: stats.habitat) |
| often near water, across much of North America | They are often found near water, such as near the edges of ponds, lakes, ditches, and streams (note: stats.habitat) |
| across much of North America | They occur throughout much of North America (note: stats.habitat) |
| Typically earthworms, amphibians, leeches, slugs, snails, insects, crayfish, small fish and other snakes | Common garter snakes typically eat earthworms, amphibians, leeches, slugs, snails, insects, crayfish, small fish and other snakes. (note: stats.diet) |
| Common garter snakes grow to 46 to 137 cm in total length | Common garter snakes grow to be 46 to 137 cm in total length. |
| the average is 88 cm | Average length 88.00 cm |
| Newborns measure 12.5 to 23 cm. | Young common garter snakes are born at 12.5 to 23 cm long |
| Common garter snakes live throughout eastern North America from Florida to coastal Quebec, and west to British Columbia. | Common garter snakes are found throughout eastern North America from Florida to coastal Quebec, west to British Columbia |
| They use meadows, marshes, woodlands and hillsides, and they tend to prefer moist, grassy places, often near the edges of ponds, lakes, ditches and streams. | They tend to prefer moist, grassy environments. They are often found near water, such as near the edges of ponds, lakes, ditches, and streams |
| They use meadows, marshes, woodlands and hillsides | including meadows, marshes, woodlands, and hillsides |
| They typically eat earthworms, amphibians, leeches, slugs, snails, insects, crayfish, small fish and other snakes. | Common garter snakes typically eat earthworms, amphibians, leeches, slugs, snails, insects, crayfish, small fish and other snakes. |
| They find prey with their sense of smell and their vision, and hunt by peering, craning and ambushing. | Common garter snakes find their prey using their excellent sense of smell and their vision. They use several different hunting methods, such as peering, craning, and ambushing to capture their prey. |
| Like other snakes, they swallow food whole. | Like other snakes, they swallow their food whole. |
| Stripes make a garter snake hard to see in grassy areas. | Their stripes make them difficult to see properly and capture in grassy areas. |
| It relies on stealth and camouflage, and it flees into water to escape predators on land. | They rely on stealth and camouflage for protection, and will flee into water to escape predators on land. |
| Hawks, raccoons and great blue herons are among the animals that eat it. | hawks , great blue herons , raccoons , foxes , squirrels , and shrews are some of the animals that prey on common garter snakes (note: hawks, herons, raccoons listed) |
| If unable to flee, it coils to look larger and may strike and bite. | If unable to flee they coil to make themselves appear larger, and may strike and bite. |
| If grabbed, it writhes and releases a foul-smelling secretion. It also urinates on its attacker. | If grabbed, these snakes writhe and release a foul-smelling secretion; they will also urinate on their attacker. |
| Garter snakes hibernate from late October through March or early April, in natural cavities or burrows such as rodent burrows, crayfish burrows, rock piles or stumps. | They hibernate from late October through March or early April |
| in natural cavities or burrows such as rodent burrows, crayfish burrows, rock piles or stumps | Common garter snakes hibernate in natural cavities or burrows, such as rodent burrows, crayfish burrows, under rock piles, or in stumps. |
| They gather in large numbers at good hibernation sites. | congregate in large numbers at good places to hibernate over the winter |
| Lying together in tight coils, they can prevent heat loss and keep their bodies warmer. | Lying together and forming tight coils, garter snakes can prevent heat loss and keep their bodies warmer. |
| Mating starts in spring as soon as they emerge. | These snakes begin mating in the spring as soon as they emerge from hibernation. |
| Males leave the den first and wait for the females. | The males leave the den first and wait for the females to exit. |
| Once the females leave, the males surround them. | Once the females leave the den the males surround them. |
| Females give birth to live young instead of laying eggs. | The mother gives birth to live young, she doesn't lay eggs. |
| Most litters hold 10 to 40 babies, and larger females have larger litters. | Most litters range from 10 to 40 young and litter size depends on the size of the female, with larger females giving birth to larger litters. |
| Animal Diversity Web says the snake's reputation as harmless is well deserved. | their reputation as harmless snakes is well deserved |
| It describes allergic reactions to the saliva of a biting garter snake as extremely rare. | On very rare occasions people have been known to have allergic reactions to common garter snake saliva after handling one and being bitten. These are extremely rare |
| they appear to be immune to the toxic skin secretions of toads and can eat them without harm | They seem immune to the toxic skin secretions of toads and can eat them without harm. (note: faq 4; 'appear to be' keeps the source's 'seem') |
| Animal Diversity Web puts the average wild lifespan at about two years and says most probably die in their first year. | The average lifespan of wild common garter snakes is approximately two years. Most common garter snakes probably die in their first year of life. (note: faq 3) |
| Captive snakes live longer, between 6 and 10 years. | The lifespan of common garter snakes kept in captivity is longer, between 6 and 10 years. (note: faq 3) |
| dangerLevel: Low | their reputation as harmless snakes is well deserved (note: stats.dangerLevel; allergic reactions to a bite are 'extremely rare') |

## AnAge entry for Thamnophis sirtalis. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Thamnophis_sirtalis

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| An adult weighs about 150 g. | Adult weight 150 g |
| AnAge lists a maximum longevity of 14 years, recorded in captivity. | Maximum longevity 14 years (captivity) |
| weightKg: 0.15 | Adult weight 150 g (note: battleStats.weightKg; AnAge average) |

## Brodie, Ridenhour & Brodie (2002). THE EVOLUTIONARY RESPONSE OF PREDATORS TO DANGEROUS PREY: HOTSPOTS AND COLDSPOTS IN THE GEOGRAPHIC MOSAIC OF COEVOLUTION BETWEEN GARTER SNAKES AND NEWTS.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0014-3820.2002.tb00132.x

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Researchers tested over 2,900 garter snakes from 40 populations in western North America. | We assayed TTX resistance in over 2900 garter snakes representing 333 families from 40 populations throughout western North America. |
| Resistance varied by over three orders of magnitude among populations, even over short distances. | Resistance levels vary substantially (over three orders of magnitude) among populations and over short distances. |
| The study found two hotspots of resistance, and its phylogenetic data indicate the two evolved independently. | phylogenetic information indicates that two hotspots of TTX resistance have evolved independently |

## Geffeney et al. (2002). Mechanisms of Adaptation in a Predator-Prey Arms Race: TTX-Resistant Sodium Channels. Science.

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1074310

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A North American snake, some of whose populations have evolved resistance to the toxin of the newts they eat. | Populations of the garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis have evolved geographically variable resistance to tetrodotoxin (TTX) in a coevolutionary arms race with their toxic prey, newts of the genus Taricha. (note: tagline; range is claim 2) |
| Some populations resist tetrodotoxin, the toxin of the newts they eat | Populations of the garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis have evolved geographically variable resistance to tetrodotoxin (TTX) in a coevolutionary arms race with their toxic prey, newts of the genus Taricha. (note: stats.superpower) |
| Some populations of the common garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis, prey on newts of the genus Taricha. | Populations of the garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis have evolved geographically variable resistance to tetrodotoxin (TTX) in a coevolutionary arms race with their toxic prey, newts of the genus Taricha. |
| Those newts carry tetrodotoxin (TTX), a toxin. | resistance to tetrodotoxin (TTX) in a coevolutionary arms race with their toxic prey, newts of the genus Taricha (note: the toxin is the prey's: 'resistance to tetrodotoxin ... with their toxic prey') |
| Garter snake populations have evolved resistance to it, to different degrees in different places, in an arms race with their toxic prey. | Populations of the garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis have evolved geographically variable resistance to tetrodotoxin (TTX) in a coevolutionary arms race with their toxic prey, newts of the genus Taricha. (note: 'to different degrees in different places' paraphrases 'geographically variable') |
| Researchers traced the resistance to TTX-resistant sodium channels in skeletal muscle | we identify a physiological mechanism, the expression of TTX-resistant sodium channels in skeletal muscle, responsible for adaptive diversification in whole-animal resistance |
| Some common garter snake populations have evolved resistance to tetrodotoxin in an arms race with their toxic prey, newts of the genus Taricha | Populations of the garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis have evolved geographically variable resistance to tetrodotoxin (TTX) in a coevolutionary arms race with their toxic prey, newts of the genus Taricha. (note: vibe.reason) |
| tags: immune-tank | the expression of TTX-resistant sodium channels in skeletal muscle, responsible for adaptive diversification in whole-animal resistance (note: tags; cellular defence against a lethal neurotoxin) |

## Mason et al. (1989). Sex Pheromones in Snakes. Science.

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.2749261

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In the Canadian red-sided garter snake (the subspecies T. s. parietalis), the female's attractiveness pheromone is a series of long-chain methyl ketones, while the male's recognition pheromone contains squalene. | The female sex attractiveness pheromone of the Canadian red-sided garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis, consists of a novel series of nonvolatile saturated and monounsaturated long-chain methyl ketones, whereas the male sex recognition pheromone contains squalene. |

## Frost, Hammerson & Santos-Barrera (2015). Thamnophis sirtalis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T62240A68308267.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2015-2.rlts.t62240a68308267.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: stats.conservationStatus; category read through GBIF's copy of the Red List (api.gbif.org/v1/species/2457522/iucnRedListCategory), assessed 2007) |