Plains Garter Snake

Thamnophis radix

The plains garter snake (Thamnophis radix) is a striped, medium-small snake of central North America, especially grassland, prairie edge, marsh, roadside ditch, and farm country. It usually shows a bold yellow or orange stripe down the back, paler side stripes, and dark checkering on keeled scales. Like other garter snakes, it is a live-bearing colubrid, but its open-country range and tolerance of cooler seasonal weather make it a familiar reptile in many northern and plains landscapes.

Keepers value captive-bred plains garter snakes for their alert behavior and manageable adult size, though they still require secure caging and a diet planned with more care than a single-food novelty setup. Wild prey can include earthworms, amphibians, fish, and small vertebrates; captive diets should avoid nutritional shortcuts such as repeated use of unsuitable feeder fish. Outdoor encounters are usually best handled by leaving the snake where it is unless rescue is needed. Breeding projects should track locality and lineage, since garter snake appearance can vary across range and related species are easily confused.