Common Garter Snake: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Reptiles of America · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. In spring there are far more males than females, so ten or more males pile onto one or two females in a tangled mating ball.
2. Some sneaky males give off a fake female scent to lead rivals away, then race back to the den as the real females come out.
3. A garter snake can store toxins from poisonous amphibians in its own tissues, turning itself into a poisonous deterrent.
4. Garter snakes living alongside toxic newts have evolved strong resistance to a deadly neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin.
5. It is the official state reptile of Massachusetts, and lives from Florida's tip to the Northwest Territories.

The quiz

1. What forms when many males crowd around one or two females?

• A mating ball (correct)
• A fight to the death
• A mass migration
• A shared nest

Ten or more males swamp one or two females in a mating ball.

2. How do some sneaky males lead rivals away?

• They hide underground
• They masquerade as females (correct)
• They hiss loudly
• They release a musk cloud

They pretend to be females, using a fake female scent.

3. How can a garter snake become poisonous?

• By eating poisonous plants
• By licking toads' eggs
• By storing toxins from poisonous amphibians (correct)
• By rolling in mud

It stores toxins from poisonous amphibians in its tissues.

4. What have garter snakes near toxic newts evolved resistance to?

• Sunlight
• Cold winters
• Salt water
• Tetrodotoxin (correct)

They evolved strong resistance to tetrodotoxin.

5. Which US state's official reptile is the common garter snake?

• Massachusetts (correct)
• Florida
• Texas
• Alaska

It is Massachusetts' official state reptile.

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