One of the shared snake experiences of Alabama kids who spend time outdoors is having a sweet-tempered Garter Snake wrap its body through their fingers. There are several other wild Alabama candidates for young snake handlers, like Ringneck Snakes and Rough Green Snakes, but the Eastern Garter Snake is always near the top of the list.
Garter Snakes are small to medium size snakes with three yellow stripes running the length of their dark bodies and dark markings between the scales around their mouths.
kAm{:<6 >2?J D?2<6D W2?5 9F>2?DX[ :?5:G:5F2= v2CE6CD >2J G2CJ BF:E6 2 3:E :? 2AA62C2?46] $@>6 92G6 DEC:A6D E92E 2C6 4=@D6C E@ H9:E6 E92? J6==@H[ @E96CD 92G6 C655:D9 DEC:A6D] %96 3@5J 4@=@C 42? G2CJ 7C@> 3=24< E@ 3C@H? E@ 8C2J[ @=:G6 @C 6G6? 2 3=F:D9 @C C655:D9 4@=@C] %96C6 2C6 @7E6? 52C< 3=@E496D[ 2 4964<6C65 A2EE6C? @C @E96C >2C<:?8D 3@E9 =:89E 2?5 52C< 36EH66? E96 DEC:A6D – 3FE E92E 2=D@ G2C:6D 7C@> D?2<6 E@ D?2<6]k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm(:E9 2== E92E G2C:2E:@?[ :E’D 36DE E@ ;FDE =@@< 7@C E96 E9C66 =@?8 J6==@H DEC:A6D H:E9 52C< 2?5 G6CE:42= 6586D E@ E96 D42=6D 2C@F?5 E96:C >@FE9D] v2CE6C $?2<6D 5@ 92G6 H9:E6 E@ =:89E 4@=@C65 36==:6D[ 2?5 E96:C E@?8F6D 2C6 3C:89E C65 H:E9 3=24< 7@C<D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96D6 D?2<6D 2C6 ?@E =2C86[ FDF2==J =6DD E92? a 766E =@?8 2E >2EFC:EJ[ 3FE E96J 92G6 366? <?@H? E@ 8C@H FA E@ b 766E =@?8]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96C6 :D 2?@E96C D?2<6 :? p=232>2 E92E’D 62DJ E@ 4@?7FD6 H:E9 E96 v2CE6C $?2<6] %96 #:33@? $?2<6 :D 23@FE E96 D2>6 =6?8E9 3FE E9:??6C] xE 92D @?=J H9:E6 D42=6D 2C@F?5 :ED >@FE9 2?5 DA@CED 2 H9:E6 DA@E @? :ED 7246 ;FDE :? 7C@?E @7 :ED 6J6 E92E E96 v2CE6C $?2<6 =24<D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 t2DE6C? v2CE6C $?2<6’D ?2E:G6 C2?86 :D C@F89=J 62DE @7 E96 |:DD:DD:AA: #:G6C[ FA :?E@ r2?252 2?5 :? t2DE %6I2D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96J 2C6 7C6BF6?E=J D66? 3J A6@A=6 3642FD6 E96J 2C6 4@>>@?=J 7@F?5 :? 82C56?D[ H9:49 AC@G:56D EH@ @E96C 4@>>@? ?2>6D 7@C E9:D C6AE:=6i v2C56? $?2<6 2?5 v2C5?6C $?2<6j 9@H6G6C[ E96 AC@A6C 2?5 >@DE @7E6? FD65 4@>>@? ?2>6 :D v2CE6C $?2<6[ D@ ?2>65 3642FD6 :ED DEC:A6D =@@< =:<6 E96 DEC:A65 723C:4 82CE6C E92E A6@A=6 FD65 E@ 9@=5 FA E96:C DE@4<:?8D 2 4@FA=6 @7 9F?5C65 J62CD 28@ :? tFC@A6] %96 7:CDE AF3=:D965 244@F?E @7 E9:D D?2<6 36:?8 42==65 2 v2CE6C $?2<6 :? E96 &]$] @44FCC65 E96 J62C 367@C6 @FC ?2E:@?’D s64=2C2E:@? @7 x?56A6?56?46[ :? `ffd]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 D4:6?E:7:4 4@>>F?:EJ <?@HD E92E D?2<6 2D k6>m%92>?@A9:D D:CE2=:D D:CE2=:Dk^6>m[ H9:49 FD6D 2 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 p?4:6?E vC66< 2?5 {2E:? H@C5D E92E >62? “3FD9 D?2<6 E92E =@@<D =:<6 2 82CE6C DEC2A]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmq6D:56D 82C56?D[ v2CE6C $?2<6D =:<6 E@ 92?8 2C@F?5 E96 6586D @7 H2E6C[ 2?5 E96J E6?5 E@ =:<6 8C2DDJ =2?5D42A6D =:<6 >2CD96D 2?5 >625@HD] qFE E96J 2=D@ 92G6 366? 7@F?5 :? 7@C6DED 2 =@?8 H2J 7C@> H2E6C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96D6 D?2<6D >@G6 3@E9 5FC:?8 E96 52J 2?5 2E ?:89E] %96J E6?5 E@ D66< D96=E6C F?56C =@8D @C C@4<D] $:?46 E96J 2C6 @7E6? 7@F?5 2C@F?5 9@FD6D[ :E’D ?@E F?FDF2= E@ 7:?5 E96> 2C@F?5 DE24<D @7 3@2C5D @C =@8 A:=6D H96C6 E96J 42? DF?32E96 E@ C2:D6 E96:C 3@5J E6>A6C2EFC6 2?5 2=D@ 7:?5 BF:4< C67F86 7C@> E9C62ED]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm$A62<:?8 @7 E9C62ED[ v2CE6C $?2<6D H:== D@>6E:>6D DEC:<6 2?5 3:E6 :7 A6DE6C65 6?@F89] x? E96 A2DE a_ J62CD :E 92D 366? 5:D4@G6C65 E92E E96J 5@[ :? 724E[ 92G6 2 >:=5=J E@I:4 G6?@> E92E :D FD65 :? 9F?E:?8 D>2== 2?:>2=D] qFE 3642FD6 E96J 5@ ?@E 92G6 2? 67764E:G6 H2J E@ 56=:G6C G6?@> E@ 2 A6CD@?[ :E :D 6IEC6>6=J F?4@>>@? E92E 2?J@?6 92?5=:?8 2 v2CE6C $?2<6 H@F=5 92G6 2?J AC@3=6>D H:E9 2 3:E6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmt2DE6C? v2CE6C $?2<6D – =:<6 2== D?2<6D – 2C6 AC652E@CD] %96:C 5:6E :?4=F56D 62CE9H@C>D[ :?D64ED[ E@25D[ 7C@8D[ D2=2>2?56CD[ 7:D9[ >:46[ D>2== 3:C5D[ D=F8D[ DA:56CD 2?5 D>2== 688D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96D6 D?2<6D 2C6 C6=2E:G6=J D@=:E2CJ 5FC:?8 E96 DF>>6C >@?E9D] qFE 5FC:?8 E96 H:?E6C E96J 82E96C :? =2C86 8C@FAD :? 2 56? E@ 4@?D6CG6 3@5J 962E] %96:C 56?D 2C6 42==65 9:36C?24F=2[ H9:49 D@F?5D 2 =@E =:<6 2 A=246 E@ 9:36C?2E6j 9@H6G6C[ E649?:42==J[ t2DE6C? v2CE6C $?2<6D 5@ ?@E 9:36C?2E6] x?DE625[ E96J D=@H H2J 5@H? 2?5 6?E6C 2 DE2E6 @7 :?24E:G:EJ 42==65 3CF>2E:@? E@ A2DD E96 4@=5 >@?E9D :? E96:C 4@>>F?2= 56?D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp?@E96C E:>6 E96D6 D?2<6D 364@>6 G6CJ D@4:2= :D 5FC:?8 E96 DAC:?8 3C665:?8 D62D@?[ H9:49 368:?D C:89E 27E6C E96J 6>6C86 7C@> E96:C H:?E6C 56? :? =2E6 |2C49 2?5 4@F=5 =2DE F?E:= 62C=J |2J] q@E9 >2=6 2?5 76>2=6 v2CE6C $?2<6D >2E6 H:E9 >F=E:A=6 A2CE?6CD] x? 724E[ :? E96 7C6?KJ E@ >2E6[ t2DE6C? v2CE6C $?2<6D H:== D@>6E:>6D 7@C> “D?2<6 32==D[” H96? 2 D:?8=6 76>2=6 6>:EE:?8 >2E:?8 A96C@>@?6D 7:?5D 96CD6=7 :? E96 4=@D6 4@>A2?J @7 FA E@ `__ >2=6 D?2<6D] z6G:? !F89[ 2 H:=5=:76 3:@=@8:DE H:E9 E96 p=232>2 5:G:D:@? @7 (:=5=:76 2?5 uC6D9H2E6C u:D96C:6D[ HC@E6 E92E t2DE6C? v2CE6C $?2<6 32==D 2C6 G6CJ 4@>>@? 5FC:?8 E96 DAC:?8 :? p=232>2]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm~?46 E96 3C665:?8 D62D@? 92D A2DD65[ 76>2=6D 86DE2E6 7@C EH@ E@ E9C66 >@?E9D 367@C6 8:G:?8 =:G6 3:CE9 E@ 2 =:EE6C @7 FA E@ d_ 323J D?2<6D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmq23J t2DE6C? v2CE6C $?2<6D ?665 ?@ >@E96C:?8 2?5 7F?4E:@? ;FDE =:<6 E96:C A2C6?ED 7C@> s2J `] x?E6C6DE:?8=J[ 2 J@F?8 v2CE6C $?2<6 :D AC@A6C=J 42==65 2 “D?2<6=6E]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmt2DE6C? v2CE6C $?2<6D FDF2==J @?=J =:G6 7@C a E@ c J62CDj 9@H6G6C[ E96C6 92G6 366? C6A@CED @7 2 42AE:G6 v2CE6C $?2<6 =:G:?8 E@ E96 C:A6 @=5 286 @7 a_]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAm k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmk6>m$@>6 :?7@C>2E:@? 7@C E9:D 2CE:4=6 42>6 7C@> ~FE5@@C p=232>2[ E96 $2G2??29 #:G6C t4@=@8J {23@C2E@CJ 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 v6@C8:2[ E96 ':C8:?:2 w6CA6E@=@8:42= $@4:6EJ[ %96 &]$] u:D9 U2>Aj (:=5=:76 $6CG:46]k^6>mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm k^DA2?mk^Am
