They eat a variety of vertebrates and invertebrates. The Western Terrestrial Garter Snake is a complex species made up of several subspecies. The wandering snake has the most toxic venom among the garter snake species. David A. Miller. Western terrestrial garter snakes don't face any major threats at present. Most Wandering Garter Snakes eat slugs, small mammals, and fish. Common near water but also found away from water. Young snakes often die from winter starvation. There are two main variants that are most prevalent: coastal and inland populations. The diet of Thamnophis elegans relies heavily on the prey available in the environment, and thus varies due to geographical differences. Western terrestrial garter snakes are polygynandrous (promiscuous), meaning that both the males and females mate with multiple partners. Send us an email or call   800-760-0544, Have questions or comments? These snakes can be aggressive and will strike or bite. They also give birth to their young alive like the other garter snakes. It is best to contact a pest management professional to help address any snake problem. The Common Garter Snake will eat slugs, grubs, mice, voles, earthworms, rats, frogs and tadpoles, and generally anything they can overwhelm. Seven subspecies are … All snakes are an important part of the natural food chain, eating a variety of prey—from mice and birds to frogs and insects. Choose a name you can trust to protect your property against pesky animals! Open areas in forests, scrublands, grassland, mountains, rocky hillsides and woodland are some of the numerous places the western garter snake inhabit. Wandering or western garter snakes are not intimidated or repelled by fake hawk or owls’ decoy, or by the use of ultrasonic sound emitter (which can’t be heard by snakes especially at high frequency). Rabbit Repellent. Western terrestrial garter snakes are carnivores and their diet relies heavily on the prey available in the environment and thus varies due to geographical differences. ... Western terrestrial garter snake (Thamnophis elegans). There are two main variants that are most prevalent: coastal and inland. Terrestrial garter snakes (Thamnophis elegans) are common throughout the western US, especially in Utah including in the park. Description: The snake is colored dark olive with an orange-yellow stripe that is displayed on the middle of the body from the top while the underside is usually a cream or light shade of gray. Of the 38 snakes collected 27 contained 31 prey items. In the evening they return to their shelters where they also hide from the mid-day heat. Most garter snakes appear to reproduce annually, though in some northern populations, a year or even two may be skipped. Send us an email or call 800-760-0544, Have questions or comments? Since coastal T. elegans is found along the West Coast of the United States, it is found near the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Carnivorous. Cannibalism among garter snakes is found in only two species in which. This makes the western terrestrial garter snake an excellent example of polyphagism. 11. Like many species of garter snakes, Western Terrestrial Garter Snakes are generalist foragers and commonly include worms, slugs, leeches, frogs, small mammals, birds, and fish in their diets (Gregory 1978; Matthews et al., 2002). Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable. In contrast, inland populations indulge in a semi-aquatic diet containing frog and toad larvae, leeches, and fish. The constriction is not as strong as constriction done by other species of snakes that constricts their prey. 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