Western Aquatic Garter Snake

About the Western Aquatic Garter Snake

Thamnophis couchii, commonly known as Couch's garter snake, the Sierra garter snake, or the western aquatic garter snake, is a highly aquatic species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the western United States, specifically the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

The specific name couchii is in honor of Darius Nash Couch, a U.S. Army officer and naturalist who collected specimens during the Mexican-American War and subsequent expeditions. The Sierra garter snake is a medium-sized, slender snake adapted for an aquatic lifestyle. They possess a somewhat pointed head, which aids in underwater foraging in fast-flowing currents. Like many garter snakes, they have a mild venom produced in the Duvernoy's gland that is harmless to humans but effective at subduing small, cold-blooded prey. Furthermore, because their diet frequently includes highly toxic newts, the snakes can sequester the tetrodotoxin in their own tissues, making them poisonous to potential predators like birds and mammals.

T. couchii is native to California with a small population in west-central Nevada and the Owens Valley. It is predominantly... Wikipedia →