How Big Can a Garden Snake Get?
Garden snakes are non-venomous reptiles that live throughout North America. They are dark in color with a tan or brown body and a stripe down the middle of their backs.
These snakes are ectothermic, so they need to bask in the sun to keep their bodies warm. They also have a scaly appearance and breathe through their lungs.
Size
A garden snake may be as small as a quarter of an inch in length but can grow several feet long. They are known for their slender bodies and colorful markings, which vary by region.
One of the most common species found in North America is the eastern garter snake, and they are also one of the most popular reptiles to own as pets. They can be very docile, and do not typically display any signs of aggression towards humans or other animals.
These snakes can be found throughout North America, including Canada, the US, and Mexico. They prefer moist, cool environments where they can huddle together under leaves and branches or sunning on rocks.
The most important thing to know about this medium-sized snake is that they are not poisonous. They can be safely handled with a pair of gloves and can be successfully relocated to a suitable habitat.
Their slender bodies make them perfect candidates for a vivarium or tank with plenty of hiding places and a source of fresh, clean water. They can be fed a variety of foods, including worms, fish, and mice, although a balanced diet is recommended.
They are a good choice for beginner reptile keepers, as they are generally non-invasive and easy to care for. The best way to handle them is with gentle handling techniques, such as a light grip and a slow movement around the slender bodies.
They are also considered the best snakes to breed. They are the only snakes that can reproduce without using eggs or laying live young, and they tend to assemble large groups during mating season to form breeding balls.
Habitat
Garden snakes are the most common type of striped snake in North America. They can be found in all regions of the country, and they tend to live in habitats that are close to water.
Although many people fear these slithery creatures, they are beneficial in controlling garden pest populations such as slugs and snails. They are also very adaptable and often thrive in locations that have varying degrees of moisture.
These snakes are commonly called garden snakes because they often appear in yards and gardens throughout the country, where they enjoy moist soil conditions and rich food sources. They are also non-venomous and will not bite you or other people.
While these snakes are not dangerous to humans, they can be a nuisance if you disturb them. They are also prone to ingesting toxic herbicides and fertilizers, so it’s best to avoid them.
Like most snakes, garden snakes have a keen sense of smell and can sense body heat from other animals. They are also able to use their tongues and eyes to locate prey. They can slither underground to hibernate during the winter, and their tails may rattle in response to a threat.
They have a complex system of pheromone communication, which allows them to communicate with each other by identifying each other’s scent. Male and female garden snakes can leave separate scent trails that other snakes can follow to find their partners.
Outside of the mating season, garden snakes are usually solitary foragers and will use a variety of cover objects such as rocks, logs, stumps, and trash piles to hide from predators. In spring or fall, they will breed and give birth to a litter of ten to 40 young.
When breeding, garden snakes release pheromones to attract mates. These pheromones are odorous and are different from one another. This allows the snakes to communicate with each other and mate without having to see their partner’s face.
Garden snakes are ovoviviparous, which means that their eggs are retained in their bodies until they hatch and the young are born alive. The average number of the young per litter varies by species, but they typically contain between 4 and 80. They reach sexual maturity at 1 to 3 years of age.
Predators
Garden snakes are common in gardens across the country and harmless to humans. Depending on where you live, they may include ringneck snakes, smooth green snakes, black racer snakes, milk snakes, or rat snakes.
Garter snakes can grow to be over 4 feet in length, but most adults only reach about 3 feet. Their colors are varied, from brown to tan with yellow, red, or blue stripes down their sides and backs.
They are mainly carnivores and feed on a variety of small animals, including snails, worms, leeches, fish, insects, frogs, and toads. They also eat birds and smaller rodents from time to time.
To hunt their prey, they unhinge their jaws and crane or ambush the target, suck in their prey, then swallow it whole. They are also able to immobilize their prey by using their teeth, which curve into a back-hinge position, so they can’t escape.
Like many other snakes, they also use their strong sense of smell to detect potential threats. If they sense danger, they will move quickly to conceal themselves in vegetation or hide under rocks.
In the wild, they are most likely to live in meadows or forests near water. They can make dens under rock walls and other support structures, and they often seek out places where they can hibernate during winter.
Their bodies have a striped pattern, which they use to help them evade predators and prevent detection by birds of prey. When threatened, they may emit a foul musk odor, thrash vigorously, or bite to escape.
If you do find a garter snake in your garden, it’s best to leave it alone and allow it to move on its way. Paying too much attention to a snake can scare it away, and the animal will probably find its way of getting around your property.
Some people want to keep garter snakes on their property for the pest control they provide, but if you do, you should take precautions. The best way to do that is to provide a safe place for them to live and thrive.
Behavior
The average garter snake is about two to three feet long, with a pattern of stripes down its back. It can be brown, tan, or olive-colored, with yellow, red, or blue spots on its body. It eats grasshoppers, slugs, and grubs, as well as some larger pests, like mice and frogs.
The most common garter snake in the United States is the eastern garter snake, which can be identified by a white eye spot and long stripes along its spine. It also eats amphibians, fish, small mammals, and earthworms.
Although venomous species, such as copperheads and rattlesnakes, should not be welcome in homes, garden snakes are harmless to humans, said John Amarello, a veterinary medical entomologist with the Ohio State University College of Medicine. They are primarily active during the spring and summer when they leave their dens and seek out warmer environments.
If you notice a garden snake in your yard, it is important to not approach or touch it. This could cause the snake to run away, Amarello says. Instead, observe the snake and enjoy its company from a distance.
Garter snakes, like most other snakes, are solitary creatures. They don’t mate or hibernate together, but they do spend time with each other and form social groups.
One study found that garter snakes hung out in groups of three to eight snakes in a walled enclosure, and they formed cliques. They spent more time together than they did alone, study leader Morgan Skinner of Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada tells Science magazine.
Skinner placed ten snakes in the enclosure, which was about three feet long and two feet wide on each side. Each snake had a color-coded dot on its head so Skinner could spot them in photos of the enclosure, which were taken every five seconds for eight days.
The snakes had to find shelter, and they needed to do it in a way that protected them from predators. That meant finding groups of snakes who were already grouped up, which is similar to how mammals, including humans, form cliques.