A black snake with yellow stripes is commonly found throughout the eastern United States.In case you didn’t know, it is called the eastern garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis). It is characterized by three yellow or white streaks that run throughout its body, but the main question is, is it poisonous?A garter snake (Thamnophis) is non-venomous in nature. It does not have the venom that makes a snake poisonous. Nor does the snake have pit organs in between its eyes and nostrils. These organs help spot warm-blooded animals to strike. Thus, the lack of pits renders garter snakes harmless (although there are venomous snakes without pits too). In fact, a number of reptile enthusiasts keep them at home as pets. So it’s evident that these snakes with yellow stripes running through their body aren’t going to give you a fatal bite.In this article, learn some more interesting facts about these snake species. Also, check out is a dolphin a fish and San Fransico garter snake facts here on Kidadl.Is a striped snake poisonous?There are several snake species found throughout North America that have stripes on their body. Some have vertical stripes that run through their body from head to tail, while others have circular bands. But that’s not all. Some snake species like the southern copperhead have streaks on their undersides. So are these striped snakes poisonous? Not all of them.Stripes on the body aren’t a reliable indicator of poison but they can help you identify the snake. There are some striped snakes like the southern copperhead, banded water snake, and plain blackhead that are poisonous. The coral snake, which has rings of red and black along its body, is also venomous.But there are other snakes with white and black streaks that aren’t poisonous. The eastern garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis) is one of them. Their stripes are either light yellow or white on a black or dark frame. Similar to the garter snake is the black rat snake. It too has a black body but the white stripe is on the belly area. The California kingsnake has a white body with black and yellow rings. All of these snakes are non-venomous snakes.To know whether a striped snake is poisonous or not, you can look for the ‘yellow and red’ pattern combination. If the yellow and red colors are adjacent to each other, it almost confirms that the snake is poisonous. If red and black are adjacent, the snake can be assumed to be safe.Is a black snake with yellow stripes dangerous to dogs?Snakes with yellow streaks like the eastern garter snake (confused with yellow rat snake) or the plains garter snake (with orange streaks) aren’t venomous. They don’t have fangs and hence cannot inject venom. So their bites shouldn’t be dangerous to your dog.In most cases, the area where it was bitten will swell a bit. So, your first response should be to clean the area, whether it be the head, feet, or belly, with water and soap. Some dogs can be allergic to their saliva. You should inspect the dog’s behavior and visit the vet if necessary. But in general, black snakes with yellow streaks aren’t fatal to dogs or humans.How can you tell the bite of a poisonous and nonpoisonous snake from each other?All venomous snake species are equipped with fangs in their mouth. That’s how they deliver the venom into their victim’s bloodstream.If you’re bitten by a poisonous snake, then you can spot two clear puncture wounds in the area. But, if a non-venomous snake like the plains garter snake bites you, you’ll see two teeth-like marks or two rows of marks. Biting of both snake types will result in pain and swelling and reddening in the area. But for a venomous snake, the intensity will increase steadily.How is a garter snake different from other snakes?There are many snake species that resemble garter snakes (genus Thamnophis) and their black and yellow or white pattern. So, how would you differentiate a garter snake from others? You can start with learning about a garter snake’s appearance, habitat, diet, and how it behaves.Garter snakes have multiple subspecies so they come in a wide variety of color combinations. However, almost all of them are characterized by three longitudinal stripes that run from head to tail. One stripe is at the center of the back, while the other two are found on each side of the lower part of the body. The color of the stripe varies among subspecies. In most cases, they tend to be green or yellow. The eastern garter snakes with yellowish stripe patterns are the most common ones. Some garter snake species look checkered because of the splotchy patterns in between the stripes. Some subspecies have also been spotted that do not have any stripe running through their body.Talking of length, an adult garter snake will measure between 20-32 in (50.8-81.3 cm) but some species can measure up to 5 ft (1.5 m). It’s because of the small size and yellow streak that they’re sometimes confused with a yellow rat snake.These snakes can be found in a wide range of habitats ranging from meadows to forests and swamps, which is a testimony to their adaptability and varied diet. They like to stay near water bodies like ponds or lakes. In America, these snakes are found primarily in the eastern United States from Florida to coastal Quebec to as south as the Gulf of Mexico. During winters, they hibernate in the dark.Coming to their diet, they mostly prey on fish, salamanders, frogs, slugs, and earthworms. The garter snakes are highly unlikely to attack larger animals or humans but can prey on small mammals. They do climb trees, so can feed on birds and their eggs. The snakes aren’t aggressive but when threatened, the garter snakes give off a bad-smelling musk. Females can bite at times to protect their eggs.All these things will help you to differentiate a garter snake from other black and yellow snakes that may look similar.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘Is a black snake with yellow stripes poisonous? Garter snake facts’, then why not take a look at ‘What happens if you drink spoiled milk? Know your dairy food better’ or ‘How much food should a kitten eat? Cat food facts you must know’.
A black snake with yellow stripes is commonly found throughout the eastern United States.
