garter snake, harmless snake snake, common name for an elongated, limbless reptile of the order Squamata, which also includes the lizards. Most snakes live on the ground, but some are burrowers, arboreal, or aquatic; one group is exclusively marine. In temperate climates they hibernate.
..... Click the link for more information. of the genus Thamnophis, abundant from Canada to Central America. There are many common species; members of most species are about 2 ft (60 cm) long. Most garter snakes are striped or banded lengthwise, and some are spotted between the stripes. Less aquatic as a group than the related water snakes, they are found near water in dry country and are widely distributed in moist regions. They prey on cold-blooded animals, chiefly frogs, toads, small fish, and earthworms. Females bear live young in large litters, sometimes numbering 50 or more. The common garter snake of the NE United States, Thamnophis sirtalis, varies in color and pattern but is usually blackish or brownish with three yellow stripes. The ribbon snake, T. sauritus, is a very slender garter snake that prefers wet places. Garter snakes are classified in the phylum Chordata Chordata (kôrdā`tə,–dä`–)
..... Click the link for more information. , subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order Squamata, family Colubridae.

garter snake

Garter snake (Thamnophis).

(credit: Leonard Lee Rue III)

Any of more than a dozen species of snakes (genus Thamnophis, family Colubridae) with a striped pattern that resembles a garter: usually one or three longitudinal yellow or red stripes, with checkered blotches between. Forms in which the stripes are obscure or lacking are called grass snakes. Found in gardens and vacant lots, garters are among the most common snakes from Canada to Central America. They are small (usually less than 24 in., or 60 cm, long) and harmless, though some will strike if provoked. They eat insects, earthworms, and amphibians.