I saw one of these booting it across the road on my way home one day. She moved very rapidly and made it safely across.
Garter snakes can be found in a variety of habitats – forests, fields, wetlands, and even in cities. It is that adaptability that has made them successful and they can be found throughout Canada.
The Common Garter gives birth to live young in late summer with anywhere from 20 to 40 in the litter. They can grow up to 60 cms in length and are generally recognized by a dark body with three light-coloured stripes down their backs and sides. Shades of these can be yellow, red, or orange. Some may also have speckles, and there are small populations that are all dark with no stripes.
The Common Garter is not poisonous but, if you see one try to just observe. A snake will often try to bluff their way out of a situation in which they feel threatened by a show of temper. This snake will also release of foul-smelling, musky liquid, and as a final defense, if you pick one up you may get sharp bite.
They are an important part of the ecosystem. They eat earthworms, frogs, salamanders, slugs, leeches but, they are also prey for birds, like hawks, and mammals, like raccoons.
