Home/Species/ Eastern Ribbonsnake

Thamnophis saurita

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Eastern Ribbonsnake

G5Secure Found in 13 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

LowThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103516

Element CodeARADB36120

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassReptilia

OrderSquamata

FamilyColubridae

GenusThamnophis

COSEWICPS: T,SC

Synonyms

Thamnophis sauritus(Linnaeus, 1766)

Other Common Names

Couleuvre mince (FR) eastern ribbonsnake (EN) Eastern Ribbon Snake (EN)

Concept Reference

Rossman, D. A., N. B. Ford, and R. A. Seigel. 1996. The garter snakes: evolution and ecology. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. xx + 332 pp.

Taxonomic Comments

Kraus and Cameron (2016) corrected the spelling to saurita (Crother 2017).

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2025-10-27

Change Date1997-02-26

Edition Date2025-10-27

Edition AuthorsHammerson, G. (2006); rev. R. L. Gundy (2025)

Threat ImpactLow

Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences> 300

Rank Reasons

This species is widespread and abundant throughout the eastern U.S. and adjacent southeastern Canada. Threats include habitat loss and road mortality. The population has declined slightly but is currently relatively stable.

Range Extent Comments

The range extends from Wisconsin east to southern Maine and Nova Scotia, and south discontinuously to southeastern Louisiana, the Gulf Coast, and southern Florida including the Florida Keys (Conant and Collins 1998, Rossman et al. 1996, Ernst and Ernst 2003). This species has been reported from the Bahamas but may not be established there (see Powell and Henderson 1999).

Occurrences Comments

There are a large number of occurrences (subpopulations).

Threat Impact Comments

In most areas, this snake is not significantly threatened. Ernst and Ernst (2003) stated that populations are declining over much of the range because of habitat destruction, but this likely pertains primarily to peripheral populations or areas where the species is naturally rare. Degradation of shoreline vegetation is believed to result in population declines (Harding 1997). Locally, large numbers are killed on roads (Rossman et al. 1996).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitats include wet meadows, marshes, seasonally flooded prairies, bogs, ponds, lake shorelines, swamps, and shallow slow streams; also hardwood hammocks and other wet or moist forest in some areas; usually this snake is in or near vegetative cover (often shrubs or clumps of sedges or grasses) in sun-exposed sites along the edge of standing or flowing water; it climbs into low vegetation, rarely into tree canopy (Bishop and Farrell, 1994, Herpetol. Rev. 25:127; Rossman et al. 1996, Harding 1997, Ernst and Ernst 2003). Shelters include thick vegetation, muskrat lodges, or burrows. Hibernation sites are in burrows, ant mounds, underground on high ground (sometimes high on rocky slopes), or underwater.

Ecology

Home range averaged 0.8 ha in Michigan study (see DeGraaf and Rudis 1983).

Reproduction

Gives birth to 3-26 (average about 9) young in July or August; captives have produced 2 litters in a season; sexually mature in 2-3 years in Michigan (Fitch 1970).

Terrestrial Habitats

Bare rock/talus/scree

Palustrine Habitats

HERBACEOUS WETLANDSCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian

Other Nations (2)

United StatesN5

Province	Rank	Native
Louisiana	S3	Yes
Kentucky	SNR	Yes
New Jersey	SNR	Yes
Maine	S3	Yes
Maryland	S4	Yes
Illinois	S1	Yes
New Hampshire	S5	Yes
Vermont	S2	Yes
Wisconsin	S1	Yes
Tennessee	S4	Yes
Michigan	S5	Yes
Virginia	S5	Yes
Indiana	SNR	Yes
Ohio	SNR	Yes
South Carolina	S5	Yes
Massachusetts	S4	Yes
New York	S4	Yes
Mississippi	S5	Yes
North Carolina	S4	Yes
Delaware	S2	Yes
District of Columbia	S4	Yes
Alabama	SNR	Yes
Rhode Island	S3	Yes
Connecticut	S3	Yes
Georgia	S5	Yes
West Virginia	S2	Yes
Florida	S4	Yes
Pennsylvania	S3	Yes

CanadaN4

Province	Rank	Native
Nova Scotia	S2	Yes
Ontario	S4	Yes
Quebec	S2	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
1 - Residential & commercial development	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areas	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
1.2 - Commercial & industrial areas	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquaculture	Large - restricted	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	High (continuing)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber crops	Restricted (11-30%)	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	High (continuing)
2.2 - Wood & pulp plantations	Restricted (11-30%)	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	High (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranching	Restricted (11-30%)	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	High (continuing)

Roadless Areas (13)

Florida (6)

Area	Forest	Acres
Farles Prairie	Ocala National Forest	1,901
Gum Bay	Apalachicola National Forest	11,645
Long Bay	Apalachicola National Forest	5,726
Natural Area Wsa	Osceola National Forest	2,543
Pinhook	Osceola National Forest	15,405
Savannah	Apalachicola National Forest	1,927

Mississippi (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Sandy Creek Rare Ii Area	Homochitto National Forest	2,620

North Carolina (3)

Area	Forest	Acres
Catfish Lake North	Croatan National Forest	11,299
Pond Pine B	Croatan National Forest	2,961
Sheep Ridge Addition	Croatan National Forest	5,808

South Carolina (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Hellhole Ext	Francis Marion National Forest	891
Wambaw Ext	Francis Marion National Forest	527

Virginia (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Kelley Mountain	George Washington National Forest	7,590

References (18)

Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
Conant, R. and J. T. Collins. 1991. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 450 pp.
Conant, R., and J. T. Collins. 1998. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition, expanded. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 616 pp.
Crother, B. I. (editor). 2008. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Sixth edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular 37:1-84. Online with updates at: http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/comm_names/Index.php
Crother, B. I. (editor). 2012. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 7th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 39:1-92.
Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
DeGraaf, R. M., and D. D. Rudis. 1983a. Amphibians and reptiles of New England. Habitats and natural history. Univ. Massachusetts Press. vii + 83 pp.
Ernst, C. H., and E. M. Ernst. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Books, Washington, D.C.
Fitch, H. S. 1970. Reproductive cycles of lizards and snakes. Univ. Kansas Museum Natural History Miscellaneous Publication 52:1-247.
Harding, J. H. 1997. Amphibians and reptiles of the Great Lakes region. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor. xvi + 378 pp.
Kraus, F., and H. D. Cameron. 2016. A note on the proper nomenclature for the snake currently known as Thamnophis sauritus. Herpetological Review 47:74-75.
Lawson, R. 1987. Molecular studies of thamnophiine snakes: 1. The phylogeny of the genus Nerodia. J. Herpetology 21:140-157.
Minton, S. A., Jr. 1972. Amphibians and reptiles of Indiana. Indiana Academy Science Monographs 3. v + 346 pp.
Powell, R., and R. W. Henderson. 1999. Addenda to the checklist of West Indian amphibians and reptiles. Herpetological Review 30:137-139.
Rossman, D. A. 1970. Thamnophis sauritus. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 99.1-99.2.
Rossman, D. A., N. B. Ford, and R. A. Seigel. 1996. The garter snakes: evolution and ecology. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. xx + 332 pp.
Vogt, R. C. 1981c. Natural history of amphibians and reptiles of Wisconsin. Milwaukee Public Museum. 205 pp.

Thamnophis saurita

Habitat

Ecology

Reproduction

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