Knowra Garter snake Garter snake Garter snakes are nonvenomous snakes in the genus Thamnophis, native to North and Central America. Many species have longitudinal stripes and eat a varied diet that includes worms, amphibians, and fish.
Thamnophis : A genus of snakes native to North and Central America, commonly known as garter snakes. Garter snake names apply to members of this genus.
Snake feeding : The process by which snakes capture, swallow, and digest prey, usually whole. Garter snakes seize small prey and swallow it without chewing.
Tetrodotoxin resistance : Reduced sensitivity to tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin that blocks voltage-gated sodium channels. Some garter snake populations tolerate toxins in newts they prey on.
Common garter snake : Thamnophis sirtalis, a widespread garter snake species with substantial geographic variation. It is among the most familiar and extensively studied garter snakes.
Wetland conservation : The protection and restoration of wetlands and the species and ecological processes they support. Wetlands provide essential feeding, breeding, and overwintering habitat for many garter snakes.
Colubridae : A large family of snakes that includes many familiar, nonvenomous species. Thamnophis belongs to this broad snake family.
Thamnophis sirtalis : The common garter snake, a widespread species found across much of North America. This well-studied species illustrates the genus’s flexible feeding and habitat use.
Rough-skinned newt : A North American newt that produces tetrodotoxin as a defense against predators. Its toxin drives a geographic arms race with resistant garter snakes.
San Francisco garter snake : A colorful, federally endangered subspecies of common garter snake found in coastal California. Its restricted range and dependence on wetlands make it a prominent conservation case.
Habitat fragmentation : The division of continuous habitat into smaller, isolated patches, often by human land use. Fragmented wetlands can separate garter snake populations and disrupt movement between habitats.
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