Eastern Gartersnake
Thamnophis sirtalis
Size
18–36 in
Status
Common
Venomous
No
Region
Statewide
Indiana's most familiar and widespread snake, common in backyards, parks, and fields across the state. Harmless and highly adaptable.
Identification
A slender snake with three light (usually yellow) stripes running down a dark body, often with a checkered pattern between the stripes. Color is variable. Adults typically reach 2–3 feet. When handled it may release a musky odor rather than attempt to bite.
Habitat & Diet
Found nearly everywhere — gardens, meadows, woodland edges, and wetland margins. It eats earthworms, amphibians, slugs, and small fish, and is one of the first snakes active in spring.
Conservation in Indiana
Common and secure throughout Indiana. As a generalist it thrives even in suburban settings, making it the snake most people encounter.
Similar Species & Taxonomy
Indiana's most familiar snake, variably striped in yellow on a dark ground with a checkered pattern between the stripes; told from ribbonsnakes by its shorter tail and dark-marked lips. A gartersnake (family Colubridae; watersnakes and their kin are often split into the family Natricidae). The Common Gartersnake, Thamnophis sirtalis, is among the most wide-ranging snakes in North America, with many subspecies; Indiana's is the Eastern Gartersnake.
United States Range Map Distribution
Distribution in Indiana
