The Eastern Garter Snake: Everything You Need To Know! 

Upstate NY here. I live in the woods and see these guys on a near daily basis. Completely harmless and such beautiful creatures

Eastern Garter Snakes never get the love that they deserve, they will always hold a special place in my heart as the first snake species I ever caught and the one that trained me to work with snakes in the wild. They are so diverse in their ecological role, I always find it interesting to see how garters in different parts of the country vary in their behavior and coloration, there’s always something interesting to take note of with garters. Great work as always, the b-roll was fantastic! - Harrison and Evan

The coolest snake in the world. I constantly find them in my firewood pile. A gentle snake if handled right…I have had them wrap around my arm and just stare at me while I sit having a beer. Lol.. very curious snake for the most part…Not a palmetto bug in sight thanks to these guys…

I live in northern Vermont right by the Canadian border .. I every once in a while I see a blue garter snake .. I few years back there was one that was a aqua blue it was amazing g

I have these snakes in my back yard and sometimes I'll just sit outside with them and talk to them and they'll slither up to me and blep their tongues out of curiousity. They are awesome!

I was golfing today and went into the tree line to grab a ball that I lost and accidentally discovered that I was surrounded by 3 of the little guys! I haven’t seen a snake in years and my primate response to seeing them was absolute shock haha. I ran like hell back to the cart! Afterwards however I looked them up online and it seems that they were all chilling together as apparently they literally have friends and hangout together, which is adorable. Also the fact that they didn’t seem to be bothered when I walked over them initially just goes to show how laid back they are, I didn’t even see them until I turned around to head back!

Thanks Ben for sharing your knowledge and respect for the wild all around us. Your enthusiasm and love for all creatures great and small is contagious. I recently had an encounter with a large snake and trying to figure out what type of snake it was is what brought me to your videos. I live in the coastal town of Edenton North Carolina and I spotted the snake sunning in eves of the roof line of a guest house in my backyard. The snake spotted me too and quickly retreated into the attic space. I called wildlife and they saw no sign of the snake in the attic. A few days later I spotted a skin dangling from a rotted hole in the wood siding up around the gutter. It made me think the snake was coming and going. A large magnolia tree grows up against this guest house so I figure the snake climbs up the tree to the roof and then enters the hole. Anyway I patched the hole, ...so I thought. A few weeks later I was preparing the bed for guest and noticed a board I had stored and stacked had tumbled out from under the bed. I got on my knees to to restack it and when I did the board was pushed right back out. I reached in closer under the bed wondering why this happened and as my hand under the bed and hovering over what I thought was a foam tube I thought better about grabbing it, ...until I went and got my glasses and a flashlight. When I returned I saw it was a snake. I called wildlife again and they came in a hour and the snake was in the same spot and as a matter of fact there were two snakes together between the boards under the bed. Each snake was put in a separate container to be released in the woods. One snake was about 8 feet long and as thick as a float tube with sort of brownish and dark greenish skin and the other more slender and black and about 2 or 3 feet long. The wildlife guy had no idea what kind of snake either was and I found that frustrating as I wanted to know. I took a picture of the larger snake and I am hoping you might be able to take an educated guess. May I send you a picture of the snake? Thanks again for your work. Because of your videos I am not afraid like I was when I bumped into them. Haha. You are the best. Jack Early in North Carolina

Did someone say the flagship snake of New England?!? Love seeing the garter snake get some love and awesome video on these guys! Can’t wait to find one myself this year awesome work Ben as always!

I am so glad I found your channel! My son and I love exploring our local state parks and forests and we just found a very large garter snake the other day and we had so many questions. Thanks for your videos! 😊

I see these snakes in my backyard sometimes, always cool to see them slithering around. Also helped save an Eastern milk snake that somehow got in my basement.

My daughter loves catching them. I have tons of them living in my retaining wall. We have tons of gartersnakes and a lot of hognose snakes with a few northern copperheads sprinkled in. All are awesome to see. Great video, bro. Very educational.

I nearly stepped on a bunch of these things that were sunning on a hike and bike trail. They blended in with the asphalt and I never noticed until my family was calling them out.

I've been doing pretty good on snakes in Michigan. I've had two ribbon snakes, a blue racer, and a recently hatched eastern hognose (7" on aug 31). The hognose was just hanging out in my garage. It was great seeing how he just instinctively flattens his head and neck to look tough. I just scooped him up into a Tupperware pan and put him in the woods. I didn't freak him out to see him playing dead.

I've loved garter snakes since I was a kid. I saw a garter snake in my yard recently and I swear it was at least 3 feet long if not a little more. I've never seen such a large garter snake, it was beautiful. The a couple of years ago my kitty was interested in my closet where I keep my coats and I figured a mouse was in there. I got a cup to capture it and put it outside but when I turned on the light so I could see I found a baby garter snake up against the base board. I was able to get it into the plastic tumbler and take it outside. I have no clue how it happened to get into the house. I enjoyed your video and it was very informative.🐍💖

Saw a lovely light green double striped garter snake in my backyard here in Sterling, VA a suburb of Washington DC Olay 15 February 2023. He was quite thin and about 18” long, not too scared of me, very lithe, a joy to watch how his coloring blended so well with the grass. I was picking up small sticks blown off the trees by wind when I saw him move. Temperature probably near 60f, short sleeves not uncomfortable. A joy to see him.

They give live birth too! They're the most common snake here in Pennsylvania. The most that I captured in a day was 68. No... I didn't keep them... I turned them loose the following day. During that particular day... I found them with Milk snakes. However... I only found 5 of those. Catching snakes has always been a passion of mine since the age of six. I'd pull off my pillow case and head for the fields.

We found 8 garter snakes on a recent hike! The kids were even more excited than I. lol

Awesome video, thanks for posting this! There is one thing to mention about Garter snakes, and that is they're rear fanged and mildly venomous.

Just caught about a 18" - 24" one today in my South Jersey back yard. I released it into the woods with an old farmer's pond down the street.

We have a hefty 3-footer living in our garden beds, caught him soaking up heat from the concrete porch today 👍

a few days ago i found a garter snake on the side of the road that was 3+ feet long and it was the most aggressive garter snake ive ever seen

dig your videos brah!!

I saw a garter snake near where I live a few days ago

I love snakes especially garden snakes 🐍

Really nice snakes and great commentary placing the animal even more deeply into perspective than seeing you out there on their territory already does. Once a person has caught a lot of the different species of snakes, that's when they see gartersnakes for what they are and become excited by them again. Incredible genus, Thamnophis, offering hands down some of the most beautiful individual snakes to be found anywhere on the planet. (We have three full species in my area.) Aren't we lucky they are so wide-ranging, come in so many forms, and have been so successful at hanging-on in fair numbers! Those biggees are almost certainly "she". Thanks for the segment!

Ayyy the everything you need to know series is back! I see lots of ribbons but I’ve never caught a garter. Nice finds man!

I just looked you up to see if you were still posting. Your stuff is always so great. You should have 1 million subs by now. Congrats on your success thus far.

Cool snake. I always think that they look like they are smiling! Love the gentle way you handle them.

It's a favorite past time of almost all children in Kansas to find and keep infant garter snakes until they are 6-8 inches or a couple weeks then let them go. They are under most rocks/wood piles in healthy gardens for the majority of may and June (under expected weather patterns).

These guys are out right now in Quispamsis NB Canada big time. Super nice snake

I just seen my first snake today

me and my 10 year old found 2 today in a wood pile. used them to teach her how to identify and handle a snake. I tell you what, Garters tend to be really feisty lol

They are such wonderful little noodles! I grew up catching these guys and letting them go. I am struggling to resist the urge to get a captive bred one as a pet. My one reservation is that I'm old, and I'm not sure anyone in my family would appreciate being left one in my will.

That’s a really swell gardener snake you found there sir

We caught one today too!

I just saw my first one of the season.. I googled the photo and it sent me to your video.. Just glad it's nothing poisonous. I didn't kill it.

Nice! Garter snakes are great!

Texas y'all ❤️ thanks for helping my neighbor. He wasn't comfortable with my id of a snake on his patio. Showed him your video he's cool now 😅 Yankees...😂😂 JK love from Texas y'all ❤️

thank you for the video greatly appreciate it to identify this snake did not want my wife or kids or dogs to get bit or myself it was about in between the first and second you found a fairly good-sized snake

Never ran into an adult garter snake in my backyard, but plenty of babies over the years

I live in the Midwest, when I was young I caught every snake that was indigenous to the Midwest, the only snake to ever bite me was a 3 ft. garter snake!

Love the intro. done very well.

I live in Virginia, and used to see these every year, all of the time.....Haven't see ANY in my large yard for years....Makes me sad. We need Snakes more than most people know.

Honestly garter snakes are cute. This was an Interesting video, very informative. Thank you for sharing.

God I love the scale patterns!

I asked this question a while back and I’m really curious. Where I live in New England we have many snakes come out in March and April when it warms up during the day. I’m wondering what they do when it’s warm for a few days and then it gets below 30degrees for a week or so? Do they go back into a den? What happens when they travel to mate? How do they protect themselves from 20+ degrees at night once they come out for Spring. Do they go into full brumation or hibernation again? It was almost 80 here last week and now it’s 22 degrees at night and 30 in the day. I’m hoping they find a way to protect themselves from a week or two of freezing temps again. Thanks for another great video. 👍🏼👍🏼

Thank you for the identification of these snakes so I'll know not to kill it.

Discovered a Garter snake hang out in my Magnolia tree. And it looks like he was eating well. Is climbing trees common for this snake?

Just sitting in my backyard, when a bird swooped in and left what i thought was a small cable, until the cable started moving it's head like "where am I?" Then I was like "omg is that a snake?" Walked over and it was a snake, and it was just finishing a worm. Then I realized the bird wanted the worm and the snake was eating the other end and the bird pulled up the worm and the snake at the same time and didn't realize until it was already flying.

Awesome animals!

I'll send you a couple pictures of the blue sided from the pet shop, she poses for pictures? To the snake, thanks for musking Ben it was very enjoyable!

Your videos are useful

I've yet to see any snakes this year. The only reptiles I've seen so far are skinks and fence lizards

aww these bois are so cute

Ben!! Hello! We think our cat got bit by a garter snake. Do they bite? Any idea what that bite might look like?

I have seen a dead garter snake on the road

Heck baby garter snakes are starting to slither into the entrances of the hospital here.

Caught one of these today

I saw one today

I read that you can identify a male from a female garter snake by their tails, I female has a more slender tail with a sharp point at the end....is this true? My Husband accidently hit one at his work, we believe it is a female, she has a wound on her back end and one of her eyes is possibly wounded, it's hard to tell. I've been reading up on them and it says we can use an antibiotic ointment on it's wound on it's tail so we have been. I am worried it may be stargazing, but I'm not positive and when we called a vet they didn't have any clue and nowhere near us takes care of snakes. Have you had experience with this? We plan to let her back into the wild once she heals and praying she doesn't have any neurological damage aka stargazing. Thanks for any advice or tips in advance. Thanks for doing such great videos, very informative/helpful.

That musk fluid release is supposed to have a pungent foul smell, you should have commented on it.

Hi I live in Georgia I just found FOUR little snakes sleeping under my rug on the front porch. I really want to find out if they are. I've researched and have narrowed it down to Garters or Dekayi but i could be wrong. May I send you a video or pics. Why were they all together? Were they babies who had just hatched or birthed?

Do they live in the same area over years? I swear iv been watching one grow up. Any advice on how I can avoid them getting caught in the mower? Feels bad when I accidentally get one. I like to keep them around for pest control.

We live by a field that has like tall grass and bushes and stuff and the other day I found a snake just chilling in front of my front door when I opened the door he started to take off he had a skinny black tail and small head and his color was like a brownish color I just wondering what kind of snake that would be? I live in tennessee if that helps

I live in Texas

I have a question. Some years ago some friends and I were in Hill Forest,and we came across a small snake. The description: 6-8 in., splotchy pattern like a Pygmy Rattlesnake, but it was a grayer body color,black spots, and pinkish borders, and most notably it had vertical, or lenticular pupils. None of us had seen one like it, but it was in the sunlight so the pupils made us very cautious looking at it. I had seen one like it before. We were right next to the Flat River,and we were close to the border of the Timber Rattlesnake range for that area, but I’ve never forgot about it. Do you know what kind of snake that was.

I live in New York there awecom a don't bite at all

Found in St Augustine Florida

-7:40 to -7:33. The snake with the wide open mouth and white inside the mouth is not a garter snake. It is a venomous Cottonmouth, aka Moccasin. It is not a garter snake. It is venomous.* Also there is a splotchy coppery brown snake curled up. It is a Copperhead, another venomous snake. Just don’t want anyone to think they were other versions of a garter snake. * repeated for emphasis

If you feed guppies to a garter snake, is it hazardous to the snake's health if you add tartar sauce to the water the guppies are in?

Male for that chunky one! 😍

I like ther brown eyes

Glad only have a few venomous snakes here in WNY. Think timber rattlers, copperhead and massasaguas. Never come across these in my entire life (knock knock knockin on wood). No thanks

I got bitten by one lol, named her veni-moose XD

Do they eat mice and rats?

i rip what i see and dont know in my back yard sorry got 3 kids and snake is a snake they aways strike at me im not a expert on snake so rip is you croos my path😢

Chicken vs garter snake

I cant pick one of these up without it trying to biye me

I love them, but let me tell you, they can be cranky, and they bite HARD!

Ben, you can find them in lower Alaska please research the fact. John

They give me the creeps, totally repelled by them, when I see them in my yard, I always get started… hate them because they eat my frogs and toads.