The giant garter snake, thamnophis gigas, is the largest of all garter snakes. They measure 3 to 5.4 feet (1 to 1.6 meters) long and weigh up to 1.5 pounds. Females tend to be slightly longer and heavier than males and may even have a long snout. Their bodies are dark brown, to olive or even tan in color with 3 stripes that run down their back and sides (these stripes can be pale, yellow or even orange). Their sides also have a row of black dots which can look like a checkered or blotched pattern. The undersides of these reptiles can be cream to olive, grayish or brown in color with an orange tinge depending on the individual.
The giant garter snake can be found in the western United States. These animals are highly aquatic; making their homes sloughs, ponds, marshes, slow-moving streams and lakes. They will also make due with agricultural wetlands as well as irrigation and drainage canals. Spring to mid-autumn is their most active period of the year. Around mid-autumn, they begin to look for burrows or other soil crevice that is above floodwater levels. After a suitable area has been found, they will enter into dormant state and remain this way throughout the winter. Once spring has arrived, these reptiles will become active again and emerge from their winter burrows.
The diet of a giant garter snake consists mostly of fish, amphibians and their larvae. These hunters may take advantage of pools which trap and concentrate prey, making it easier to catch something. They may even go after ground-nesting birds and their young if the opportunity presents itself. The vegetation surrounding their home is used for both foraging and hiding from danger. If a giant garter snake is alarmed, it may expel a secretion from their cloaca which often renders it unappetizing to potential predators.
Breeding season for the giant garter snake takes place from March to May. Males will begin searching for mate as soon as they emerge from their winter burrows. Females will give birth to a brood of anywhere from 10 to 46 live young from late July to early September. Upon being born, the young ones are completely independent and will scatter into dense cover in order to hide themselves from potential predators. Young males will mature at about 3 years of age while females will do so when they are around 5 years old.
The giant garter snake is a threatened species. It has become extinct throughout much of its historic range and it still faces numerous threats such as habitat loss or contamination as well as predation by a number of introduced creatures such as cats, dogs, bulldogs and even large predatory fish. While the total population is currently unknown, the fact that it has lost so much and continues to do so makes them increasingly vulnerable to exploitation and extinction. Hopefully, the giant garter snake can overcome its many obstacles and perhaps even regain some of its historic range. After all, such a unique reptile deserves to live and prosper far into the future.
Works Cited
“Giant Garter Snake (Thamnophis Gigas)” 29 July 2011
“Thamnophis Gigas – Giant Gartersnake” 29 July 2011
