Garter snakes are amazing! While many native species of reptiles are becoming less common as humans take over their habitat, garter snakes seem to thrive in the disturbed areas of our lawns and subdivisions. Our small quarter-acre lot in the Village of West Union has a healthy colony of garter snakes. Every spring, dozens of snakes emerge from underground, (where they spend the winter in communal quarters), and settle into several brush piles we leave for them. We have a small garden pond in which the snakes hunt tadpoles and frogs.
Garter snakes are often called "garden snakes" by folks unaware of the reason behind the term "garter". The name "garter snakes" probably comes from the snake's resemblance to the old-time garters worn by people to hold up their stockings.
Garter snakes are true reptiles, like all snakes, but they give birth to live young. The baby snakes form inside eggs within the female and hatch from the egg and emerge as fully-formed miniature versions of the adult snakes. The term for this type of birth is "ovoviviparous". Gestation is usually 2-3 months, and litter size ranges between 10 and 40 baby snakes.
Garter snakes provide valuable pest control in their environment by eating slugs, insects, leeches, and snails.
