‹ Compare two snakes
Common Gartersnake vs Western Ribbonsnake
Tap a part to see it on both. Tap it again to turn it off.
Matt Kenne, no rights reserved
Common Gartersnake
Thamnophis sirtalis
Mildly venomous(c) Taylor Seybert, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Western Ribbonsnake
Thamnophis proximus
Non-venomousThe quick way to tell
Look at the upper lip. The Western Ribbonsnake's upper lip scales are plain white or pale green with no black bars, and its tail is very long. The Common Gartersnake usually has black bars on the rear upper lip scales and a shorter tail.
Head ★ This settles it
Small head barely wider than the neck; often with pale jaw markings.
Black or dark head with an orange, yellow or white spot (often two joined pale spots) on top. The upper lip scales are plain white or pale green with no black bars. There is a pale spot in front of the eye.
Pattern
Three pale stripes - spine and low on each side - often with red flecks between.
Dark brown to black back with an orange or yellow stripe down the middle and a narrow yellow stripe low on each side (on the third and fourth rows of scales up from the belly). The belly is cream or light green with no markings.
Eyes
Round pupil, fairly large dark eye; no heat-sensing pit.
—
Pits
None. There is no pit between the eye and the nostril.
None. There is no pit between the eye and the nostril.
Tail
Fairly short, about a quarter of its length; no rattle.
Very long and thin, about a third of the total length.
What it does
Flees for cover; musks and may give a scratchy bite if held.
Quick and agile. When disturbed it dives into water or hides in plants along the bank. Often climbs into low shrubs. Groups may spend the winter together in crevices, burrows and rotten stumps.
Where it lives
Nearly all of the United States and southern Canada, except the driest Southwest.
Central and south-central US from southern Wisconsin and Indiana south to Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi and west to eastern New Mexico (and at least historically southeastern Colorado); also eastern Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica.