Alternate Name(s):

Venom Status:

Non Venomous

Characteristics:

A brilliantly colored, 2 to 3 foot long, 3 striped, garter snake. Dorsal stripe yellow to orange, lateral stripes white to pale yellow. A large black blotch on each side of the neck. 2 rows of alternating checkerboard spots on each side between the vertebral and the lateral stripes. A single row of small black spots below each lateral stripe. Belly plain white, greenish, or light brown. Scales keeled. Juveniles like adults but more precisely patterned.

Unique Features:

A large black blotch on each side of the neck and 3 rows of alternating checkerboard spots on each side, 2 between the vertebral and the lateral stripes and 1 below the lateral stripe.

Habitat and Diet:

Montane woodlands and streams to lowland desert. Amphibians are the preferred prey.

Geographic Range:

TX, AZ, CO, UT, NM