242 REPTILES OF THE WORLD 



Gray Garter Snake, E. elegans. Variety vagrans. 

 Distribution: Plains Region to Pacific Coast. 

 A bright yellow crescent behind each eye. Body straw color, 

 boldly tessellated with black. Marcy's Garter Snake, E. 

 elegans. Variety marciana. 



Distribution: Central Texas through Arizona. 

 A bright yellow crescent on each temple. Stripes and spots 

 indistinct. Couch's Garter Snake, E. elegans. Variety couchi. 

 Distribution: Arizona to California. 

 Scales in 19 rows; 8 upper lip plates. Head very broad and 

 distinct. A black patch on each temple. Body brown, spotted; 

 stripes narrow. Brown Gabter Snake, E. eques. 



Distribution: Western Texas, Arizona and Mexico. 

 Scales in 19 rows — 7 upper lip plates. Eutcenia sirtalis. 

 A variable species; some of the more distinct varieties are 

 given : 



Olive or gray tessellated with black — no stripes. Spotted 

 Garter Snake, E. sirtalis. Variety ordinata. 

 Distribution: Eastern United States. 

 Three distinct stripes; spots in tessellated fashion between 

 them; no red on sides. Common Garter Snake, E. sirtalis 

 (Typical). 



Distribution: Eastern North America. 

 Stripes and spots present; a brick red tinge on sides. Red- 

 Barred Garter Snake, E. sirtalis. Variety parietalis. 

 Distribution: Western North America. 

 Ground color uniform black; stripes narrow — usually broken. 

 Pickering's Garter Snake, E. sirtalis. Variety pickeringii. 

 Distribution: Northwest United States. 

 III. No stripes. 



Body brownish; seven longitudinal rows of spots. Tessel- 

 lated Snake, E. multimaculata. 



Distribution: Southern New Mexico; northern Mexico. 

 Light brown; small reddish spots on anterior part of body. 

 Red-spotted Snake, E. rufopunctata. 



Distribution: 1 specimen known; from southern Arizona. 



The Eastern Ribbon Snake, E. saurita, inhabiting 

 the greater part of the eastern United States, is not 

 nearly so common as some of the striped snakes. It 

 might be called a water snake, because it invariably 

 selects soggy meadows, swamp land or the borders of 

 streams and ponds, taking to the water for protection 

 and diving to the bottom, where it remains among aquatic 

 plants until danger is supposed to be passed. If a Rib- 



