Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
The most common snake species around Montreal. About half to a meter long and not poisonous.
| 🇫🇷 | Couleuvre rayée |
| 🇩🇪 | Gewöhnliche Strumpfbandnatter |
| 🇲🇽 | Serpiente de jarretera, Culebra rayada |
| Taxonomy | |
| Order | Serpentes |
| Family | Colubridae |
How to Identify
The variant here in around Montreal is dark grey to dark greenish with yellow stripes. As there are not many different snakes, not difficult to identify. In other words, if you see a snake in a park around Montreal, most probably it is a Common Garter Snake.
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Characteristics
| Length | 50-100 cm |
| Weight | 57-170 g |
Where and When to Spot
I usually see this snake species on visits to parks in early mid April during the first warmer days. With no vegetation yet, the snake is easy to spot. Also, they seem to be hungry and will be more active.
Observation Records by Park and Season
| Location | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parc Angrignon | x | - | - | - |
| Parc Michel-Chartrand | x | - | - | - |
| Parc Nature Pointe aux Prairies | x | - | - | - |
"x" indicates the species was observed, while "-" indicates no observation. Lack of observation doesn't necessarily imply that the species is absent. Data is derived from our park visit journals.