Identification
The
Eastern Ribbon Snake is a very thin-bodied snake 18 to 34 inches in length.
Similar to the garter snakes, this snake has three light colored stripes on
a dark brown or black background. Each side strip is bordered below by a brown
stripe. Unlike all garter snakes, the labial scales around the mouth of the
ribbon snake are unmarked and uniformly bright yellow or white in color. The
eyes of the ribbon snake are bordered in the front by a white or light-yellow
bar. It is very difficult to distinguish between the two subspecies of this
snake that occur in Indiana, the Northern Ribbon Snake, T. s. septentrionalis,
and the Eastern Ribbon Snake, T. s. sauritus. Similar species include:
Butler’s Garter Snake,
Common Garter Snake, Plains
Garter Snake, Western Ribbon Snake
Distribution
and Status
The Northern Ribbon Snake’s range is limited mostly to the central and northern portions of the state, while the Eastern form is found in the southwest and south-central portions of the state. Both species are considered common within the state.
Ecology
Ribbon snakes can be found along the edges of streams, lakes, ponds, and marshes. Their diet consists primarily of frogs and salamanders, which they actively stalk and pursue.
Resources
General reference guides
and websites.
Bruce Kingsbury, Director
Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management
Science Building
Indiana-Purdue University
2101 East Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499