Common gartersnake

Description:

This species shows great individual variation in coloration. All three subspecies of the common gartersnake have a somewhat checkerboard appearance on their sides. Above the light lateral stripe there are two rows of alternating, dark blotches and below the light lateral stripe is another row of dark blotches. Above the lateral stripe the ground color between the squarish blotches may be dark, giving the snake the appearance of a wide, dark, dorsolateral stripe. In this case, only the black blotches below the lateral stripe are evident. All common gartersnakes have keeled scales and the belly is light colored with some dark spotting. (information from "A Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Oklahoma")

Habitat:

Slightly developed woodland

Notes:

The family and I were visiting my mom today and as we entered her house she exclaimed, "There's a gartersnake in the back. Come on!" Of course, I dropped everything but my camera and ran outside. It was about 2' long and lying very still in the grass near her patio. I got down on the ground and snapped this single photo. As I looked up from the camera to take another look at it, it zipped around and disappeared into a nearby woodpile. This is the only shot I captured.