Marcy's Garter Snake

Eutaenia elegans, variety marciana, (Baird & Girard)

Colouration: Straw colour above, with large, square, jet-black spots arranged in tessellated fashion; there is a narrow, pale yellow stripe on the back and an indistinct yellowish stripe on the side. The abdomen is pure white and immaculate
Dimensions: Following are the measurements of an adult, female specimen, taken near Pecos City, Texas:
Distribution: Common from central Texas to western Arizona. Occurs as far north as southern Colorado.
Habits: As a captive, this snake is very hardy, feeding voraciously upon frogs, toads, fishes and that great delicacy of most garter snakes--the earthworm. A brood of fourteen of these serpents born in captivity, was successfully reared. These specimens lived for more than eight years and attained a considerably larger size than the parent, which survived them all and remained vigorous for twelve years, in a plain box with a glass front, but two feet long and a foot wide.

Of the different varieties of the Western Garter Snake this form is the most strikingly marked. It attains a considerably larger size than the typical form and is proportionately stouter.

The upper part of the head is olive. On each temple is a bright yellow crescent, and behind this a blackish collar. The upper lip plates are yellow, those beneath the eye marked with broad, black bars.

Total Length . . . . . 28 1/2 inches.

Length of Tail . . . . . 6 1/4 inches.

Greatest Diameter . . . . . 3/4 inches.

Width of Head . . . . . 3/4 inches.

Length of Head . . . . . 1 5/16 inches.

Of the many species and varieties of the striped snakes, the writer has always felt a particular liking for this handsome form. The bold, "checker-board" pattern of the body, the yellow crescents on each side of the head, and the fiery red tongue with its black tips, are characters that render the reptile striking and attractive.

The variety couchii: Like the form or variety biscutata, in its close relationship to the variety vagrans, Couch's Garter Snake is very closely related to marciana, from which it differs in the absence of the square, black spots between the stripes. The ground colour is pale, or dark brown, or olive. The stripes resemble those of marciana, while the abdomen, with different individuals, varies from yellow to black. The relationship to marciana is seen in the markings of the head. The upper lip plates near the eye have wide, dark borders, while upon the temple will be seen the pale crescent of the allied form, though this is less pronounced. In dimensions, Couch's Garter Snake is rather smaller than marciana. It occurs in Arizona and California.