In the United States, there are numerous reasons why people buy ribbon snakes as pets, such as their docile nature and friendly nature. Most snake species require a lot of care, but ribbon snakes do not. Ribbon snakes and garter snakes, in the genus Thamnopsis, are non-venomous (non-poisonous) reptiles.
Are ribbon snakes popular as pets?
They are also popular as pets. Ribbon snakes are a class of garter snakes, and are common in the United States. They are also popular as pets. Did You Know?
Are ribbon snakes poisonous?
Fortunately, like all garter snakes, ribbon snakes are nonvenomous and quite shy. This makes them popular pets, since there are many attractive color morphs of ribbon snakes, and they don't pose any danger to even kids. Here's their scientific classification.
What is a ribbon snake?
Ribbon snakes are a class of garter snakes, and are common in the United States. They are also popular as pets. Ribbon snakes are a class of garter snakes, and are common in the United States. They are also popular as pets. Did You Know? Ribbon snakes are named thus due to their thin, slender bodies. They are among the most slender garter snakes.
Do ribbon snakes eat frogs?
Ribbon snakes do not eat warm-blooded prey, just as garter snakes, also of the genus Thamnophis, do not. Using their auditory and visual traits, they are able to prey upon newts, salamanders, frogs, toads, tadpoles, small fish, spiders, and earthworms.
Do ribbon snakes like to be handled?
As for their behaviour, ribbon snakes are active and inquisitive, and as a result can make very good display snakes. But they can be quite nervous, and apparently do not like to be handled — another significant drawback for beginning keepers.
Are ribbon snakes a good pet?
Considered one of the best pets for novice snake owners, eastern ribbon snakes are easier to care for than most other species. To ensure the best temperament, eastern ribbon snakes should be purchased from a pet store or reputable breeder, not captured from the wild.
Are ribbon snakes aggressive?
Ribbon snakes rarely use any aggressive form of defense. Instead, they use their brown bodies to camouflage with the surrounding vegetation. Along with this, they flee and hide in dense patches of grass in which they will coil up and get as low to the ground as possible.
How many ribbon snakes can live together?
A pair of Eastern Ribbon Snakes of average size may be maintained in a 20 to 30 gallon capacity terrarium.
Do ribbon snake bites hurt?
Of course, like most snakes, a ribbon snake is able to bite. For instance, a pregnant ribbon snake may bite a person who tries to capture her. Though this snake's bite does hurt a little, it's not poisonous or harmful to a person.
How big do ribbon snakes get?
Description: Ribbon snakes are slender snakes that range from 16-28 in. (41-71 cm) long. They have three light, usually yellow, stripes (two along the sides and one down the center of the back) against a dark background.
Do ribbon snakes smell?
Ribbon snakes feed mostly on small fish, frogs or lizards. They are shy and nervous and will flee if given any opportunity. Both snakes will exude a foul smelling musk odor from their body if handled.
What do ribbon snakes like to eat?
Ribbon snakes are carnivorous reptiles. They prey on frogs, toads, tadpoles, small fish, spiders, earthworms, and newts.
Do ribbon snakes eat birds?
In the wild, ribbon snakes eat a wide variety of food groups: reptiles, mammals, fish, mollusks, small amphibians, and birds.
What do ribbon snakes like to eat?
Ribbon snakes are carnivorous reptiles. They prey on frogs, toads, tadpoles, small fish, spiders, earthworms, and newts.
What does the ribbon snakes eat?
Habitat and Diet This snake feeds on a variety of aquatic creatures, mainly amphibians such as frogs, toads, salamanders, and tadpoles. It also will consume small fish and some invertebrates. In turn, this snake is preyed upon by birds, mammals, fish, and large amphibians.
Do garter snakes like to be held?
Many garter snakes, particularly if they are captive bred, are gentle and do not mind being handled, and handling them is simply a matter of picking them up and letting them explore your hands. If you have experience handling other snakes, it's important to remember that garter snakes are not constrictors.
Can ribbon snakes be housed together?
Keep the cage warm and dry and provide plenty of places for hiding. Garter, Ribbon, & Water Snakes may be kept alone or in groups. If housed together snakes should be of similar size to avoid injury. Breeders generally keep Garter, Ribbon, & Water snakes in separate enclosures until breeding time.
Where do ribbon snakes live?
Ribbon snakes are found in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. Their range extends from southern Maine and Nova Scotia throughout southern Ohio and Indiana and to southeastern Louisiana, the Gulf Coast, and southern Florida. Ribbon snakes are typically found in aquatic and areas of high vegetation such as marshes, ponds, streams, ...
What color is a ribbon snake?
The Ribbon snake is a nonvenomous common species of garter snake native to Eastern North America. They are dark brown in color with three bright yellow stripes. Their chin is white and the belly is whitish-yellow in color.
How often do ribbon snakes give birth?
During this time Ribbon snakes begin to look for mates. They are ovoviviparous and give birth to live young once or twice each year. The young tend to be born in the summer, in litters of 4-27 snakelets. They are born precocial (fully-developed) and don't receive parental care.
Do ribbon snakes hide in grass?
Instead, they will use their brown bodies and camouflage themselves into the forest ground. Along with this, Ribbon snakes will also flee and hide in dense patches of grass in which they will coil up and get as low to the ground as possible. They also often escape into the water, where they are safe from many predators.
Do ribbon snakes have sharp vision?
Ribbon snakes are very sensitive to vibrations and have a very sharp vision but despite that, they often fall prey to birds and larger amphibians and reptiles. They rarely use any aggressive forms of defense. Instead, they will use their brown bodies and camouflage themselves into the forest ground.
Is the ribbon snake on the Red List?
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Ribbon snake total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
What color are ribbon snakes?
They have a dark brown or blackish coloration in the back. Southern ribbon snake (T. sauritus sackeni) – Found from South Carolina south through Florida. This subspecies is known as the Peninsula decoration snake. It is usually while their stripe is somewhat less distinct than other subspecies has a brown or backsplash.
Where are ribbon snakes found?
The strand snake occasionally called ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus) is a species of snake widely dispersed in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. These snakes are regarded as a member of the garter snake group belonging to the genus Thamnophis. .
What do ribbon snakes eat?
Such as other garter snakesthey will eat only”cold-blooded” animals, and they search both on land and water. If necessary, when searching the ribbon snake stalks its prey and will chase it.
How big are ribbon snakes?
Their length varies among subspecies, whereas the smaller northern ribbon snake could reach between 16 and 26 inches in length that the eastern ribbon snake can be anywhere from 18 to 35 inches . They use their pattern and coloration as a camouflage to avoid predators and find prey.
How long does it take for a ribbon snake to give birth?
To the hatchlings in the fall or summer months, females give birth after a gestation period of approximately 3 months.
Where are blue stripe ribbon snakes found?
Bluestripe ribbon snake (T. sauritus nitae) – Located on the Gulf Coast of the north west and west central Florida in which they’re just one of many snake species found in Florida.
How many stripes does a snake have?
They have 3 distinctive stripes running through the whole length of the bodies, with a single based in the back and other both on either side of the body.The stripes also vary in color and may be yellow, green, brown, or even light blue in the bluestripe ribbon snake.
Where do ribbon snakes live?
Habitat. Ribbon snakes are typically found in aquatic and high-vegetation areas such as marshes, ponds, streams, and lakes. Since they hunt for ectothermic animals, they tend to live in areas that are mainly water, making it easier for them to swim and catch their prey.
What is a ribbon snake?
The ribbon snake ( Thamnophis saurita) is a common species of garter snake native to Eastern North America. It is a non-venomous species of snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The ribbon snake averages 16 to 35 inches (41 to 89 cm) in total length (including tail). It is dark brown with bright yellow stripes.
What is the name of the snake with the yellow stripes?
Subspecies. The following four subspecies of ribbon snake are recognized as being valid: Eastern ribbon snake – T. s. saurita ( Linnaeus, 1766) – brown body with three distinctive stripes, typically yellow, one down the middle of the back and one down each side, that alternate with the brown body. Ranges from New York to Florida, west to ...
How long does it take for a ribbon snake to mature?
The live young tend to be born in the summer, in litters of 4 to 27 snakes. Ribbon snakes tend to mature after 2 to 3 years, which is when they will be able to start breeding. Ribbon snakes tend to breed once or twice each year after they mature.
When do ribbon snakes hibernate?
The ribbon snake is active from April to October and hibernates during the winter months. Maturity is reached around 3 years of age.
Do snakes hide in grass?
Along with this, they flee and hide in dense patches of grass in which they will coil up and get as low to the ground as possible . Given that snakes consume their prey whole, small individuals are particularly constrained in the size and shape of prey that can be consumed.
Do ribbon snakes eat frogs?
Ribbon snakes do not eat warm-blooded prey, just as garter snakes, also of the genus Thamnophis, do not. Using their auditory and visual traits, they are able to prey upon newts, salamanders, frogs, toads, tadpoles, small fish, spiders, and earthworms.
What is a ribbon snake?
Ribbon snakes are two specific species of garter snake that share similar looks and behaviors. Garter snakes are a more general group that covers a number of related species and a large geographical range.
How to tell ribbon snakes apart?
Ribbon snakes can also be told apart by a more slender head. If you can compare the two snakes directly, ribbon snakes tend to have a slimmer head.
What does a starving garter snake look like?
A starving garter snake could also look thin like a ribbon snake off you are not used to what a healthy snake looks like.
What is the difference between a ribbon snake and a garter snake?
The key difference between a ribbon snake and a garter snake is the body shape. Ribbon snakes are notably more slender than a typical garter snake.
What snake has a white marking in front of its eye?
Ribbon snakes have a white marking in front of the eye that garter snakes lack.
How many snakes are in a garter snake?
The Eastern garter snake is known for having hundreds or even thousands of snakes in one den. Garter snakes will travel long distances to reach these communal dens.
What genus is a garter snake?
Garter snakes and ribbon snakes are easy to confuse. All garter snakes belong to the genus Thamnophis.
Overview
The ribbon snake (Thamnophis saurita) is a common species of garter snake native to Eastern North America. It is a non-venomous species of snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The ribbon snake averages 16 to 35 inches (41 to 89 cm) in total length (including tail). It is dark brown with bright yellow stripes. The ribbon snake is not sexually dimorphic; however, females a…
Subspecies
The following four subspecies of ribbon snake are recognized as being valid:
• Eastern ribbon snake – T. s. saurita (Linnaeus, 1766) – brown body with three distinctive stripes, typically yellow, one down the middle of the back and one down each side, that alternate with the brown body. Ranges from New York to Florida, west to the Mississippi River.
• Northern ribbon snake – T. s. septentrionalis Rossman, 1963 – dark brown/black with yellow line down its back a…
Habitat
Ribbon snakes are typically found in aquatic and high-vegetation. Since they hunt for ectothermic animals, they tend to live in areas that are mainly water, making it easier for them to swim and catch their prey. Although most of them live in aquatic areas, they also tend to reside in forests or higher rocky areas.
Prey and predators
In order to hunt, ribbon snakes use a few of their senses including auditory and visual perception. Ribbon snakes do not eat warm-blooded prey, just as garter snakes, also of the genus Thamnophis, do not. Using their auditory and visual traits, they are able to prey upon newts, salamanders, frogs, toads, tadpoles, small fish, spiders, and earthworms. Meanwhile, they fall prey to mammals, birds, and larger amphibians and reptiles. Ribbon snakes rarely use any aggressive form of defense. In…
Reproduction
Beginning in the spring, after hibernation, ribbon snakes begin to look for another snake with which to mate. Ribbon snakes are ovoviviparous snakes, meaning they give birth to live young. The live young tend to be born in the summer, in litters of 4 to 27 snakes. Ribbon snakes tend to mature after 2 to 3 years, which is when they will be able to start breeding. Ribbon snakes tend to breed once or twice each year after they mature.
Further reading
• Conant, Roger; Bridges, William (1939). What Snake Is That? A Field Guide to Snakes of the United States East of the Rocky Mountains. (With 108 drawings by Edmond Malnate). New York and London: D. Appleton-Century Company. Frontispiece map + 163 pp. + Plates A–C, 1–32. (Thamnophis sauritus, pp. 121–124 + Plate 23, figures 68, 69B).
• Linnaeus C (1766). Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, di…
External links
• Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus) eating frog