A garter snake, or garden snake, or gardner snake, is any species of North American snake within the genus Thamnophis. There is no consensus exactly how many species there are, and disagreement among taxonomists and sources (such as field guides) over whether two types of snakes are separate species or subspecies of the same species is common. There is little variation within the pattern of scales among the different varieties of garter snakes, but coloration varies widely across varieties and geographic regions. The pattern on these snakes consists of one or three longitudinal stripes on the back, typically red, yellow or white. The snake genus got its common name because people described the stripes as resembling a garter.
