News

News about garter snakes, from the latest in scientific research to conservation news to unusual human-snake confrontations, from around the Web.

Wisconsin De-Lists Butler’s Garter Snake: News, 30 May 2013 Last week, in a controversial but long-expected move, Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources removed the Butler’s Garter Snake from the state’s list of endangered and protected species, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports (mirror). The Board voted 7-0 to remove the garter… »
Federal Charges for Bringing Garter Snakes to Alaska: News, 10 May 2013 While fighting fires in Idaho last summer, Fairbanks resident Matthew Mayo and his pals fooled around with the local snakes and lizards in their downtime, because they didn’t have that kind of wildlife back in Alaska. When it came time… »
Garter Snakes in the Yard: News, 26 Apr 2013 In this short video, Dennis Ferraro of the University of Nebraska—Lincoln’s extension program offers some advice for people who don’t want garter snakes on their property. (Strange people, I know.) Basically, mow your lawn and keep your yard clutter-free…. »
Garter Snakes Emerge in Saskatchewan Hospital: News, 21 Apr 2013 About half a dozen garter snakes have turned up in the hospital in Herbert, Saskatchewan, a small town of between 700 and 800 people about 200 km west of Regina, the Canadian Press reports (Regina Leader-Post, Toronto Star). The snakes… »
Springtime for Garter Snakes, 2013 Edition: News, 19 Apr 2013 I know it’s spring because the garter snakes are out. Once again, I’ve assembled a gallery of photos on Flickr showing this spring’s emergence of our favourite reptile. It’s still a work in progress: it’s still mid-April, I’m still looking… »
What Does Male Courtship Behaviour Look Like?: News, 23 Mar 2013 This brief video shows a mating pair of Santa Cruz Garter Snakes (Thamnophis atratus) owned by John Campbell, and is an excellent example of the early phases of male courtship behaviour. If your male garter snake is doing this… »
Butler’s Garter Snake to Lose Protected Status in Wisconsin: News, 5 Mar 2013 “The Butler’s garter snake is among 16 birds, plants and other animals recommended for removal from the list of endangered or threatened species” by Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources, the Capital Times reports. The Butler’s Garter Snake’s presence on prime… »
New Research into Prey Recognition: News, 19 Feb 2013 A paper published in PLOS ONE last year explores the role that proteins called parvalbumins, found in the skin mucous of several amphibian and fish species, play in chemosensory prey detection among two garter snakes (Checkered and Common) and one… »
New Study Splits Off Mexican Narrow-headed Garters into New Species: News, 18 Jan 2013 A 2011 research paper published in Molecular Biology concludes, based on genetic evidence, that the Mexican populations of Narrow-headed Garter Snakes represent distinct evolutionary lineages — that is to say, separate species. Populations in southwestern Durango had already been classed… »
Sarnia Asked to Take in Butler’s Garters: News, 10 Dec 2012 City councillors in Sarnia, Ontario are being asked to take in a population of Butler’s Garter Snakes from the neighbouring village of Point Edward, the Sarnia Observer reports. The snakes, endangered in Ontario, were found on land slated for redevelopment;… »
Golfers and Garter Snakes to Share Sharp Park: News, 10 Dec 2012 The long-running dispute over Sharp Park (see previous entry), a golf course in Pacifica owned by the city of San Francisco that is home to the endangered San Francisco Garter Snake and California Red-legged Frog, was settled by a federal… »
Newfoundland Garter Snake Population Persisting: News, 9 Oct 2012 Garter snakes found on the southwest coast of Newfoundland may be there to stay, a provincial ecologist tells the Telegram, possibly thanks to milder than normal winters. The province of Newfoundland and Labrador has no native snakes; it’s presumed these… »

8 Oct 2012 Funds Awarded to Study Imperiled Texas Garter Snake
27 Jul 2012 Three Baby Garter Snakes Rescued from Road-killed Mother
25 Jun 2012 Wildfire Threatens Endangered Garter Snakes
6 Jun 2012 ‘Mildly Venomous’ Clarified
4 Jun 2012 SF Garter Featured on Freeway Pillar Mural
23 May 2012 Narcisse Garter Snakes Out Early
23 May 2012 Volunteers Survey Northernmost Garter Snake Population
22 May 2012 Seven New Subspecies of Mexican Garter Proposed in 2003
26 Mar 2012 Estrogen Activates Female Pheromone Production in Male Garter Snakes
8 Sep 2011 New Research into Red Garter Snakes
26 Jun 2011 The Cost of Evolving Toxin Resistance
4 Feb 2011 Two-Headed Albino Garter Snake Steals Basel Show
20 Jan 2011 Idaho House For Sale, Free Garter Snakes Included
30 Sep 2010 Newfoundland Garter Snakes
24 Sep 2010 Manitoba Garter Snakes in Autumn
28 Apr 2010 Spring Photos of Garter Snakes, 2010 Edition
4 Feb 2010 Merced to Create Giant Garter Snake Habitat, Snakes Hopefully Will Arrive Later
31 Jan 2010 Three New Mexican Garter Snake Species Described in 2005
6 Nov 2009 A New Plan for Sharp Park Golf Course and the San Francisco Garter
30 Oct 2009 The Best Garter Snake Photos of the Year
18 Sep 2009 Garter Snakes Invade Seniors’ Home in Manitoba
20 Aug 2009 Three Evolutionary Routes to Newt Toxin Immunity
7 Aug 2009 Giant Garter Snake Population Rediscovered
25 Apr 2009 Golf Course Targeted for Garter Snake Habitat Restoration
21 Apr 2009 SF Examiner on the Narcisse Snake Dens
17 Apr 2009 Narcisse Garter Snakes Will Be Late This Year
10 Apr 2008 Volunteers Monitor Calgary Park Garter Snake Population
10 Apr 2008 Fate of San Francisco Garter Snake Depends on Frog
11 Mar 2008 Garter Snakes Win Arms Race with Newts
1 Jul 2007 Children’s Books About Garter Snakes
4 Jun 2007 Garter Snake Bites Man, Cops Issue Advisory
16 May 2007 Seven Wonders of Canada: Narcisse Snake Dens
5 May 2007 A Visit to a Manitoba Snake Den
14 Apr 2007 Snakes in a Bathroom, Residence Foundation Patched
9 Apr 2007 Bangor Daily News Interviews Robert Mason
29 Mar 2007 Wisconsin DNR Reduces Areas for Butler’s Garter
14 Feb 2007 Garter Snakes Absorb Newt Toxins as a Defence Against Birds
11 Feb 2007 Developer, Snakes Swap Land for Subdivisions, Habitat
16 Jan 2007 Cabin Tenant Kills Garter Snakes, Sues Landlord
4 Jan 2007 Garter Snake Now Massachusetts State Reptile
30 Nov 2006 Butler’s Garter Won’t Be De-Listed in Wisconsin
30 Sep 2006 Butler’s Garter Controversy Goes National
27 Sep 2006 Snakes in a Graveyard
27 Sep 2006 Snakes in a Basement
26 Sep 2006 Mexican Garter Snake Denied ESA Protection
4 Sep 2006 Pheromones and Garter Snakes
22 Aug 2006 Massachusetts to Name Garter Snake as State Reptile
28 Jul 2006 Legislature Threatens to De-List Butler’s Garter
14 Jul 2006 Snakes … in a Car!
17 May 2006 Largest Red-sided Garter Captured
11 May 2006 Listing the Mexican Garter as Endangered
30 Apr 2006 Garter Snakes Emerge in Manitoba
21 Apr 2006 Garter Snakes Emerge in Northwest Territories
9 Mar 2006 Butler’s Garters an Obstacle to Hospital Construction
9 Mar 2006 Mori Point Environmental Assessment Released
4 Jan 2006 USFWS to Review Mexican Garter Snake
16 Sep 2005 Manitoba Garter Snake Road Mortality Reduced
7 Sep 2005 Garter Snake Found in Alaska
23 Aug 2005 USFWS Will Consider Protecting Mexican Garter Snake
21 Aug 2005 Wyoming Resident Complains About Garter Snakes in Yard
2 Jun 2005 San Francisco Garter Snakes Return to SF Zoo
17 May 2005 Conservation Group Sues USFWS over Garter Snake Status
10 May 2005 Environmental Triage for Butler’s Garters in Wisconsin
25 Apr 2005 Sacramento Airport Buys 300 Acres of Giant Garter Habitat
22 Apr 2005 Narcisse Garter Snakes Out Early
6 Apr 2005 Newts, Garter Snakes Engaged in Toxic Arms Race at Molecular Level
4 Apr 2005 Highway Project Includes Ecopassages for Butler’s Garters
18 Mar 2005 Sewerage District, Construction Firm Face Charges for Disturbing Butler’s Garter Habitat
29 Sep 2004 San Francisco Garter Focus of Mori Point Open House
26 Sep 2004 Northern Ribbon Snakes Discovered in Quebec
17 Sep 2004 Garter Snakes Infest Illinois Neighbourhood
16 Sep 2004 Checkered Garter Stolen from Community Farm