THE REPTILES OF OHIO 107 



The food of the garter snake consists largely but not exclusively of cold 

 blooded prey. A large portion of its diet is composed of frogs, toads, fish, 

 earthworms and possibly insects. There are records of insects being found in 

 the stomachs of garter snakes (Surface, 1906, 149), but it is usually difficult 

 to determine whether these were taken voluntarily, or whether they were in the 

 stomachs of amphibians the snake had eaten. The elytra of beetles often were 

 found in the fecal matter of recently captured specimens, but the only definite 

 observation in which an insect was taken concerned a large individual busily 

 devouring a pile of earthworms. A grub of a scarabaeid beetle was introduced 

 with a pair of forceps and readily was seized by the snake. The swallowing 

 process was commenced but almost immediately the grub was rejected and 

 the serpent proceeded to rub its mouth back and forth on the cage floor as 

 though to rid itself of an unpleasant taste. 



In the field, a specimen just collected disgorged a large toad (Bujo a. amer'i- 

 canus) and another disgorged a swamp tree frog (Pseudacris nigrita triseriata). 

 That warm blooded animals are sometimes eaten is indicated by the fact that 

 another in the field disgorged a mouse of undetermined species. Surface (loc. 

 cit.) records a sparrow, and Ruthven (1908, 178) mentions a yellow warbler 

 which was eaten at least a day after its death. 



Captive garter snakes lived well on chopped fish and occasional earth- 

 worms and frogs. There was no attempt to kill live prey before eating it and 

 it was swallowed as it struggled to escape. 



The garter snake is a prolific animal. It is ovoviviparous and the number 

 of young may be as many as 78 in a single litter (Ruthven, loc. cit.). Such a 

 number is unusually high and the average is much lower. A female 37 inches 

 in length collected at Fort Hill, Highland County, July 7, 1931, contained 

 39 embryos and another, 44 inches in length, collected along the Cranenest 

 Fork, Center Township, Monroe County, June 28, 1931, contained 33 

 embryos. 



Several Ohio females gave birth to young in the Toledo Zoo and litters 

 of 14, 16, 22, 27 and 30, respectively, appeared on dates ranging from July 3 

 to August 1, inclusive. Freshly caught specimens bred as soon as they were 

 placed in cages early in April and, in addition to the group of three males 

 and a female found breeding April 2, 1932, as mentioned above, two pairs 

 were discovered in coitu near Andover, Ashtabula County, April 23, 1932. 

 Newly born young measured from 61/4 to 7% inches in length. 



The fecundity of the garter snake and its ability to secrete itself doubtless 

 are factors largely responsible for its ability to remain numerous in heavily 

 populated areas. 



Agkistrodon mokasen mokasen Beauvois 



Copperhead 



Description. — A stout bodied snake of medium size which may attain a 

 length of three and one half to four feet. Largest adult Ohio specimen ( $ ), 

 39^2 inches; smallest newly born juvenile, 81/2 inches. Head large and tri- 

 angular in shape, flat above and distinctly wider than neck. Eye medium 



