Eastern Ribbonsnake
Thamnophis saurita
Size
18–36 in
Status
Common
Venomous
No
Region
Statewide (S)
A slim, elegant relative of the garter snakes, usually found near water. Fast, alert, and completely harmless.
Identification
Very slender with three bright yellow stripes on a rich brown body and an exceptionally long tail (about a third of its length). It has unmarked lip scales and a distinct light spot in front of the eye. Adults are 2–3 feet but appear thinner than a garter snake.
Habitat & Diet
Lives along the edges of ponds, marshes, and streams, where it hunts frogs, tadpoles, and small fish. It is a quick, active forager and a strong swimmer.
Conservation in Indiana
Generally common in suitable wetland habitat. Maintaining clean, vegetated shorelines supports healthy populations.
Similar Species & Taxonomy
A slim, agile striped snake with a very long tail and clean stripes on scale rows three and four, told from gartersnakes by its unmarked lips and brighter side stripes. It hunts frogs and small fish at the edges of ponds and marshes. A ribbonsnake (family Colubridae; watersnakes and their kin are often split into the family Natricidae) of the genus Thamnophis. Indiana's animals are the Northern Ribbonsnake subspecies of Thamnophis saurita.
United States Range Map Distribution
Distribution in Indiana
