Features: The Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus) is a slim snake with three bright yellow, longitudinal stripes running down its sides, contrasting sharply with the dorsal background colour of chocolate brown or black. Another more common Ontario species, the Eastern Garter Snake, is also striped, making dentification in the field tricky. Adults can grow to about 70 cm long, and females typically grow larger than males. An adult female gives birth to 5-12 live young in late summer. The baby snakes are independent and begin hunting for insect prey almost immediately.

The Eastern Ribbon Snake is usually found close to water, especially in marshes where it hunts for frogs and small fish. A good swimmer, it will occasionally dive in shallow water. At the onset of cold weather, individuals congregate in burrows or rock crevices to hibernate together in what is termed a "hibernaculum."

Status: Special Concern Provincially and Nationally

Range: The Eastern Ribbon Snake's range extends from southern Ontario west to Michigan and Wisconsin (isolated pockets), south to Illinois and Ohio, and east to New York State and Nova Scotia (disjunct population). In Ontario, it is widespread and locally common in parts of the Bruce Peninsula, Georgian Bay and eastern Ontario. Range Maps

Threats: The Eastern Ribbon Snake is at the northern limit for the species and may never have been common or widespread here. There is little historical data in Ontario on abundance trends, but it is likely that the reduction of wetland habitat through urban and agricultural development resulted in a decrease in abundance in Ontario.

Protection: A number of Ontario populations are in national and provincial parks or crown land where they have some habitat protection. The Planning Act protects provincially significant wetlands and gives some protection to Eastern Ribbon Snake habitat.

Text Sources: Smith 2000; MacCulloch 2002

Last Modified Date: March 2006