Butler's Garter Snake

Eutaenia butleri, (Cope)

Colouration: The yellow stripes are vividly delineated and ribbon-like. The character of the stripe upon the side tends to place this species midway between those possessing the lateral (side) stripe on the third and fourth rows of scales and the succeeding members of the genus--with the lateral stripe on the second and third rows of scales.
Dimensions: The measurements comprise an average taken from a series of fifteen specimens. These were captured near Sandusky, Ohio.
Distribution: Common in Ohio and Indiana. The species possibly occurs in adjacent states, though the writer's records are limited to the former.(To Prof.E.L. Moseley, the writer is indebted for all of his specimens-about fifteen in number.)
Habits: The habits are quite similar to those of the larger (succeeding species). Captive individuals feed equally well upon small frogs, toads, fishes and earthworms. They will live for years in a plain box, with a glass front--the cage not longer than the reptiles' length and about a foot wide.

Butler's Garter Snake is a peculiar and distinct species, both from its form and pattern. It is one of the smaller species.

The body is stout, but tapers to a long, thin neck and a very small head, which is of the same width as the neck. This small head is a strong characteristic and quite distinctly separates this species from any other snake of the genus. The tail is very short. The outlines of this snake are much like those of the pigmy water snake--Tropidoclonium lineatum.

The ground colour is uniform, rich dark brown or black, with a vivid yellow stripe on the back and a stripe of similar colour on the side, covering the upper half of the second, the entire third and the lower half of the fourth rows of scales. Beneath this stripe is a broad, dark band, as seen on the ribbon snake. The abdomen is greenish-white, with narrow black spots on the edges of some of the plates.

Total Length . . . . . 17 3/4 inches.

Length of Tail . . . . . 4 inches.

Greatest Diameter . . . . . 1/2 inches.

Width of Head . . . . . 5/16 inches.

Length of Head . . . . . 5/8 inches.

The very small head, as compared with the diameter of the thickest part of the body, may be noted from the preceding table of measurements.

A captive female specimen gave birth to twelve young on the 4th of August. The mother was 19 3/4 inches long and the young showed an average length of 5 5/8 inches; in colouration they were much like young ribbon snakes as the ground-colour was brown and the vivid yellow stripes were black-bordered.