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Reptiles of the United States  
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Snakes of the U.S.



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Bluestripe Garter Snake Juvenile

Home »» Snakes »» Colubridae (Colubrids) »» Common Garter Snakes »» Bluestripe Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis similis)


Bluestripe Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis similis)STATUS





Description: Black or very dark brown with 3 stripes, the vertebral being yellow(ish) and the lateral stripes being pale to bright blue. Interstitial facial stripes present. Belly, blue. Ovoviviparous. Neonates similar to adults. Garter snakes in the eastern USA are less apt to consume nestling mammals than those of the American West. This subspecies preys primarily on frogs, toads, worms and an occasional salamander. Elliptical pupils and a lyres shaped marking on top of the head.


Habitat: Pine woodlands to rocky slopes and slides.


Range: Gulf Coast of FLorida


Found in these States: FL


Diet: Prey includes birds, rodents, and lizards.


Reproduction: nerally, populations include far more males than females, so during mating season, they form "mating balls", in which one or two females are completely swamped by ten or more males. Sometimes a male snake mates with a female before hibernation, and the female stores the sperm internally until spring, when she allows her eggs to be fertilized. If she mates again in the spring, the fall sperm degenerate and the spring sperm fertilize her eggs. The females may give birth ovoviviparously to 12 to 40 young from July through October.


Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of its extremely wide distribution, presumed large population, and because populations are unlikely to be declining.


Taxonomy:

»» Kingdom: Animalia - Animals
   »» Phylum: Chordata - Chordates
     »» Subphylum: Vertebrata - Vertebrates
       »» Class: Reptilia - Reptiles
         »» Order: Squamata - Scaled Reptiles
           »» Suborder: Serpentes
             »» Superfamily: Colubroidea
               »» Family: Colubridae - Colubrids
                   »» Genus: Thamnophis
                     »» Species: Thamnophis sirtalis - Common Garter Snake
                       »» Subspecies: Thamnophis sirtalis similis - Bluestripe Garter Snake

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Thamnophis saurita", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.

 

 

 

 


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COLUBRID SNAKES SNAKE PET CARE BOOK     American Snakes     Snakes of the United States and Canada: Natural History and Care in Captivity     Snakes of the Eastern United States


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Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 
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