North American Gartersnake Western Terrestrial Gartersnake Mountain Gartersnake

1. Thamnophiselegans-is derived from the Greek words thamnos which means "bush" and ophio meaning "snake". North American Gartersnake Western Terrestrial Gartersnake Mountain Gartersnake

2. Physical Description • A medium-sized slender snake with a head barely wider than the neck and keeled dorsal scales. Ground color is a dark olive-brown or black with no red markings. 3 well-defined light stripes on the back and sides. The dorsal stripe is yellow, orange, or white. The lateral stripes may be paler. Underside is pale with few markings, and is sometimes darker in the center. • The Western Terrestrial Gartersnake measures 18 - 43 inches in length

3. Montana Range- The WesternTerrestrial Gartersnake is located throughout Montana. They strive all over Montana especially in the highlighted areas. Location

4. Habitat • Inhabits streamsides, springs, mountain lakes, in grassland, meadows, brush, woodland, and coniferous forest.

5. Diet • This snake eats a wide range of prey including amphibians and their larvae, fish, birds, mice, lizards, snakes, worms, leeches, slugs, and snails.

6. Special facts • It keeps the population of the animals, insects, an amphibians it eats at a balanced state. • Gartersnakes have toxins in their saliva which can be deadly to their prey and their bite might produce an unpleasant reaction in humans, but they are not considered dangerous to humans.

7. Bibliography • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_terrestrial_garter_snake • http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_ARADB36050.aspx • http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/bio/reptile/serp/thel/thelfram.htm