|
|
The Eastern Ribbon Snake is not a very common snake to the Algonquin Highlands and it would take someone with a trained eye to identify it from a distance. It looks very much like the Garter Snake and only when you get up close will you see the slight difference. Ribbon Snakes have a very obvious neck which separates their head and body. Also they have very long tails, averaging up to one third of their body length. They can grow to just shy of a metre but a more average Ribbon Snake will be 45-66 cm long.
The Ribbon Snake has three extremely distinct yellow stripes (sometimes pale blue or orange) that run the length of its body. The stripes stand out next to the black stripes that separate the snake’s side from its stomach, which is usually a pale yellow or green. The scales are keeled.
Ribbon Snakes are usually found in low wet areas and bask in bushes. They feed mostly on frogs. Another thing that distinguishes these snakes from Garter Snakes is their strong ability to swim. They do not dive like a Water Snake but rather swim with their head above the surface. If they ever feel threatened they take off like a flash of lightening. They also will release a foul smell from their rear glands.
|
|
|
|
 |
EASTERN RIBBON SNAKE
(Family Colubridae)
Thamnophis sauritus
|
