Western Ribbonsnake
Thamnophis proximus
Size
20–30 in
Status
Special concern
Venomous
No
Region
SW Indiana
A slim, striped wetland snake, the southwestern counterpart of the Eastern Ribbon Snake. Fast, alert, and harmless.
Identification
Very slender with three bright stripes — often an orange to yellow mid-back stripe — on a dark body, unmarked lips, and a very long tail. It usually shows a pair of light spots on the crown. Adults are 2–2.5 feet but pencil-thin.
Habitat & Diet
Lives along ponds, sloughs, and streams in southwestern Indiana, hunting frogs, tadpoles, and small fish at the water's edge. It is quick to flee into water when disturbed.
Conservation in Indiana
Uncommon in Indiana and considered a species of special concern, limited by its restricted range and wetland loss. Healthy, vegetated wetland margins support it.
Similar Species & Taxonomy
A slender striped snake told from gartersnakes by its very long tail, bright unmarked lip scales, and clean side stripes on scale rows three and four. A ribbonsnake (family Colubridae; watersnakes and their kin are often split into the family Natricidae) of the genus Thamnophis. Long treated as a subspecies of the Eastern Ribbonsnake before being recognized as a full species; Indiana's is the nominate Western Ribbonsnake.
United States Range Map Distribution
Distribution in Indiana
