The Striped Snakes— Garter Snakes 



are rather slender. A very large specimen will measure about 

 a yard in length. 



Colouraiion. — The ground-colour may be brown, olive, or 

 black. On lighter specimens the rows of spots between the 

 stripes are well defined. The central stripe usually covers the 

 middle row of scales and half a row on each side. This stripe 

 may be yellow, green or whitish, and in the case of the majority 

 of specimens is more vividly defined than the stripe on the sides 

 as it is bordered on each side with the dark ground-colour, while 

 the lower stripe is bordered only above by this dark hue and 

 beneath comes in contact with a pale, brownish tinge. The 

 latter covers the first row of scales and edges of the abdominal 

 plates, and offers a less contrasty border than the ground-colour. 

 On some specimens the stripes of the sides fuse into this pale band, 

 and are thus very obscure. Such specimens show but little trace 

 of the central stripe.* 



As is the case with most of the species of this genus, the 

 Common Garter Snake shows white, line-like spots on the skin 

 between the scales, when the body is distended. Although the 

 usual rows of square black spots cannot be discerned on very 

 dark (black) specimens, the borders of such spots are always 

 indicated by the sprinkling of the white dots or lines on the skin, 

 a condition very apparent on a specimen with body flattened 

 from anger, or much distended with food. 



The abdomen of the typical form is greenish-white or yel- 

 low, with two rows of small, black blotches on the edges of the 

 plates. The blotches are situated on the front edge of each 

 plate and are slightly covered by the overlapping portion of the 

 preceding plate. The upper lip plates (superior labials) are 

 coloured like the abdomen and in contrast to the remaining 

 portion of the head, which assumes the hue of the body. 



With a form so variable in colour and pattern, specimens 

 may frequently be found that seem to fit nowhere and thus 

 greatly confuse the student. To meet such emergencies, the 

 writer has prepared the following concise descriptions, illustrat- 

 ing phases of variation that have come under his notice, and 

 possibly furnishing helpful suggestions for the determination 

 of odd specimens. 



* Upon such specimens has been founded the varietal name pallidula 

 (AUen). 



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