Thamnophis gigas
Encyclopedia
The Giant Garter Snake is the largest species of garter snake
. It is largely aquatic.
. The giant garter snake is active when water temperatures are at 20℃ or more, and is dormant underground when their aquatic habitat is below this temperature. Fish and frogs form a large portion of the diet of the Giant Garter Snake.
has been so widespread that this species is listed as threatened by the state and federal governments. The giant garter snake populations of the San Joaquin Valley
are now tiny disconnected remnants. It has been extirpated from 98% of the former San Joaquin habitat. The giant garter snake has fared better in the Sacramento Valley
because rice cultivation and the associated canals have provided habitat, when rice land is fallowed, populations seem to then move away from adjacent ditches.
In addition to habitat loss and fragmentation, introduced predators like the Bullfrog
may also be suppressing recovery. Attempts are underway to restore artificial wetlands to provide quality habitat for the giant garter snake, but it is too early to know if these efforts will significantly aid the recovery of this threatened species.
Garter snake
The Garter snake is a Colubrid snake genus common across North America, ranging from Alaska and Canada to Central America. It is the single most widely distributed genus of reptile in North America. The garter snake is also the Massachusettsstate reptile.There is no real consensus on the...
. It is largely aquatic.
Biology and ecology
The Giant Garter Snake is endemic to the Central Valley wetlands of CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The giant garter snake is active when water temperatures are at 20℃ or more, and is dormant underground when their aquatic habitat is below this temperature. Fish and frogs form a large portion of the diet of the Giant Garter Snake.
Conservation biology
Destruction of wetland and habitatHabitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
has been so widespread that this species is listed as threatened by the state and federal governments. The giant garter snake populations of the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
are now tiny disconnected remnants. It has been extirpated from 98% of the former San Joaquin habitat. The giant garter snake has fared better in the Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley
The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses all or parts of ten counties.-Geography:...
because rice cultivation and the associated canals have provided habitat, when rice land is fallowed, populations seem to then move away from adjacent ditches.
In addition to habitat loss and fragmentation, introduced predators like the Bullfrog
Bullfrog
The American bullfrog , often simply known as the bullfrog in Canada and the United States, is an aquatic frog, a member of the family Ranidae, or “true frogs”, native to much of North America. This is a frog of larger, permanent water bodies, swamps, ponds, and lakes, where it is usually found...
may also be suppressing recovery. Attempts are underway to restore artificial wetlands to provide quality habitat for the giant garter snake, but it is too early to know if these efforts will significantly aid the recovery of this threatened species.