Western Ribbon Snake
Thamnophis proximus
Reptilia
COMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- 6-10 yrs
- Size
- Medium
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Social
- Solitary
- Biome
- Freshwater wetland
- Range
- North America
- Movement
- Slithering
- Breeding
- Live Birth
- Defense
- Speed
- Status
- Common
About
The western ribbon snake is a slender, fast-moving garter snake relative found near ponds, streams, and marshes across the central United States and Mexico, marked by three bold yellow stripes on a dark olive or black body. Unlike its stockier watersnake cousins, it rarely enters water to hunt and instead darts along the shoreline banks to snatch frogs, tadpoles, and small fish from the water's edge.
Life cycle
- 1.hatchlingA miniature snake emerges from the egg or from its mother (live-bearers), already venomous or strong-coiled in some species.
- 2.juvenileA juvenile sheds its skin, grows quickly, and hunts smaller prey than the adults.
- 3.adultFully grown at adult length and pattern.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Colubridae
- Genus
- Thamnophis
- Species
- Thamnophis proximus