Ohio snake in NY - Ask Extension
Hello, we are in Steuben County,NY and think that we found a snake native to Ohio based on it’s pattern.Does this look like the Eastern Plains Garte...
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Ohio snake in NY #870069
Asked May 25, 2024, 2:41 PM EDT
Hello, we are in Steuben County,NY and think that we found a snake native to Ohio based on it’s pattern.Does this look like the Eastern Plains Garter Snake? Thanks,
Katie and her daughter Isabella (ps: chose a county just tone able to submitters form)
Adams County Ohio
Expert Response
Hi Katie and Isabella!
Thanks for the question. I always enjoy a good snake ID. :) I do see why you thought it was an Eastern plains gartersnake, however, I think it is actually an Eastern gartersnake. E. gartersnakes are extremely variable, including the occasional orange along the side of their body, a characteristic shared with the E. plains gartersnake. Another characteristic of the E. plains gartersnake is the extensive black posterior edges on the yellow upper laibals (scales along upper jaw). I do not see those black edges in the pictures you sent.
Hope this helps!
Marne
Thanks for the question. I always enjoy a good snake ID. :) I do see why you thought it was an Eastern plains gartersnake, however, I think it is actually an Eastern gartersnake. E. gartersnakes are extremely variable, including the occasional orange along the side of their body, a characteristic shared with the E. plains gartersnake. Another characteristic of the E. plains gartersnake is the extensive black posterior edges on the yellow upper laibals (scales along upper jaw). I do not see those black edges in the pictures you sent.
Hope this helps!
Marne
Good Morning Marne,
Thank you so much for replying to us both! I wasn't sure if the inquiry had gone through properly or not. Our Isabelle (cc'd here) has been our resident biologist since she was a toddler, first as an entomologist in KY, and later when she discovered lizards and turtles by our pond in SC she became a limnologist. Now that we live in NY snakes are Isabella's new passion. We have quite the habitat here and are always finding new varieties of the Eastern garter snake. She has also found ring-necks and Dekay's brown and ribbon snakes in our yard. Here are some pictures from our yard... She wasn't sure what we should do if the snake she found was somehow an Eastern Plains. Knowing that it isn't, we will release it back to the wild where she found it (well-fed after the toad she fed it this weekend).
All our best, and thank you again!!
-Katie and Isabella
Oh, thank you for these additional pictures - they have made my day. Great job, Isabelle, with your wildlife ID skills. Keep up your curiosity and love of nature. We need more passionate, talented individuals like you out there to keep our planet healthy and wildlife safe! Happy exploring and feel free to reach out to me in the future if you'd like with any wildlife questions! My email is <personal data hidden>. :)
Marne Titchenell
Marne Titchenell
