Thamnophis atratus KENNICOTT, 1860

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Higher Taxa	Colubridae (Natricinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies	Thamnophis atratus atratus (KENNICOTT 1860) Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus FITCH 1936 Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus BOUNDY 1999
Common Names	E: Pacific Coast Aquatic Garter Snake, Santa Cruz Garter Snake atratus: Santa Cruz Garter Snake hydrophilus: Oregon (Gray) Garter Snake zaxanthus: Diabolo Garter Snake G: Santa-Cruz-Strumpfbandnatter
Synonym	Thamnophis atratus (KENNICOTT 1860: 296) Eutaenia atrata KENNICOTT in COOPER 1860 Eutaenia infernalis vidua COPE 1892: 658 Eutaenia infernalis vidua — COPE 1900: 1055 Thamnophis elegans aquaticus FOX 1951: 493 Thamnophis couchi atratus — STEBBINS 1985: 206 Thamnophis atratus — ROSSMAN & STEWART 1987 Thamnophis atratus — CROTHER 2000 Thamnophis atratus — CROTHER et al. 2012 Thamnophis atratus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 720 Thamnophis atratus — HANSEN & SHEDD 2025 Thamnophis atratus atratus (KENNICOTT 1860) Eutaenia atrata KENNICOTT in COOPER 1860: 296 Thamnophis elegans atratus — FOX 1951 Thamnophis atratus atratus — CROTHER 2000 Thamnophis atratus atratus — CROTHER et al. 2012 Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus FITCH 1936 Thamnophis ordinoides hydrophila FITCH 1936 Thamnophis couchii hydrophila — FOX & DESSAUER 1964: 266 Thamnophis elegans hydrophilus — ROSSMAN 1979 Thamnophis couchii hydrophilus — ROSSMAN 1979 Thamnophis couchii hydrophilus — FITCH 1984 Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus — ROSSMAN et al. 1996 Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus — CROTHER 2000 Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus — CROTHER et al. 2012 Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus BOUNDY 1999 Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus — CROTHER 2000 Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus — CROTHER et al. 2012
Distribution	USA (coastal C California, SW Oregon) atratus: USA (California); Type locality: "California." Listed as "San Francisco, California," by Fitch, 1940: 89, and Cochran, 1961: 181. hydrophilus: USA (S Oregon, N California) zaxanthus: USA (California: Inner Coast Range from Napa and Solano to Santa Barbara counties, and the Santa Lucia Range). Type locality: 2 miles S Gilroy Hot Springs, Santa Clara County, California.
Reproduction	ovoviviparous
Types	Lectotype: USNM 970, (R.D. Cutts, 1854), designated by Fitch, 1940: 89. Holotype: MVZ 207940 (adult female) [zaxanthus] Holotype: MVZ 48196 (adult male) [aquaticus] Holotype: MVZ 18127 (adult male) [hydrophilus]
Diagnosis	Diagnosis: A short, somewhat stout garter snake with pointed snout and remarkably uniform head scales: almost always 8 upper labials, 10 lower labials, 1 preocular, and 3 postoculars on each side (table 2). Internasals usually longer than broad, pointed anteriorly, and in narrow contact with rostral; sixth and seventh upper labials relatively large and taller than long, resembling'those of terrestrial races rather than those of other aquatic races, in which rows of upper labials are * practically straight (Fox 1951: 489) Additional details (3793 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details.
Comment	Rossman and Stewart (1987) recommended against recognizing T. a. aquaticus. RODRIGUEZ-ROBLES e al. 2003 stated that aquaticus is a Thamnophis a. atratus x T. a. hydrophilus intergrade. Diet: see Heptinstall et al. 2024
References	Allen, W. L., R. Baddeley, N. E. Scott-Samuel, and I. C. Cuthill. 2013. The evolution and function of pattern diversity in snakes. Behav. Ecol. 24:1237– 1250 Bol, S. 2007. Verzorging en kweek van de Santa Cruz kousebandslang, Thamnophis atratus atratus. Lacerta 65 (5): 200-217 - get paper here Boundy, J. 1999. Systematics of the garter snake Thamnophis atratus at the southern end of its range. Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. 51 (6): 311-336 - get paper here Bourguignon, T. 2002. Strumpfbandnattern: Herkunft - Pflege - Arten. E. Ulmer Verlag, 125 pp. Bruchmann, H. 2006. Freilandbeobachtungen an Strumpfbandnattern in Nordamerika. Draco 6 (25): 86-93 - get paper here Burbrink FT, Futterman I. 2019. Female‐ biased gape and body-size dimorphism in the New World watersnakes (tribe: Thamnophiini) oppose predictions from Rensch's rule. Ecol Evol. 00:1–10 Cope, E.D. 1900. The crocodilians, lizards and snakes of North America. Ann. Rep. U.S. Natl. Mus. 1898: 153-1270 - get paper here Crother, B. I. (ed.) 2012. Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians, Seventh Edition. Herpetological Circular 39: 1-92 Fitch, H. S. 1936. Amphibians and reptiles of the Rouge River Basin, Oregon. American Midland Naturalist 17: 634-652 - get paper here Fitch,H.C. 1940. A biogeographical study of the ordinoides artenkreis of garter snakes (genus Thamnophis). Univ. California Publ. Zool. 44: 1-150 Fontenot Jr, Clifford L. 2008. Variation in pupil diameter in North American Gartersnakes (Thamnophis) is regulated by immersion in water, not by light intensity. Vision Research 48: 1663–1669 Fox, W. 1951. Relationships among the garter snakes of the Thamnophis elegans rassenkreis. Univ. California Publ. Zool. 50: 485-530 Grübner, D. 2006. Die seltener beobachteten Strumpfbandnattern. Draco 6 (25): 66-76 - get paper here HALLAS, JOSHUA M.; THOMAS L. PARCHMAN & CHRIS R. FELDMAN. 2021. Phylogenomic analyses resolve relationships among garter snakes (Thamnophis: Natricinae: Colubridae) and elucidate biogeographic history and morphological evolution. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 107374. [2022 in print] - get paper here Hallmen, M. & Chlebowy, J. 2001. Strumpfbandnattern. Natur und Tier Verlag (Münster), 192 pp. - get paper here Hansen, Robert and Jackson D. Shedd 2025. California Amphibians and Reptiles. Princeton University Press, 528 pp. - get paper here Heptinstall, Tucker C.; Ramses A. Rosales-Garcia, Rhett M. Rautsaw, Erich P. Hofmann, Alan De Queiroz, Luis Canseco-Márquez & Christopher L. Parkinson 2024. Size Doesn't Matter: Body Size is Not Linked to Diet Specialization in Garter Snakes (Squamata: Natricidae: Thamnophis) Journal of Herpetology 58 (2): 122-134 - get paper here Kennicott, R. 1860. Zoological report. No. 4. Report upon the reptiles collected on the survey. In: Stevens, I.I. (Ed.), Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, made under the direction of the Secretary of War, in 1853-5. Route ne - get paper here Parker, Michael S. and Emma Rose Parker. 2011. Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus (Oregon gartersnake) diet. Herpetological Review 42 (3): 445 - get paper here Pilliod, D., Jeffries, M., Arkle, R. and Olson, D. 2024. Climate Futures for Lizards and Snakes in Western North America May Result in New Species Management Issues. Ecol Evol, 14: e70379 - get paper here Preston, Daniel L. and Pieter T. J. Johnson 2012. Importance of Native Amphibians in the Diet and Distribution of the Aquatic Gartersnake (Thamnophis atratus) in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Journal of Herpetology 46 (2): 221-227. - get paper here Queiroz, Alan de; Robin Lawson and Julio A. Lemos-Espinal 2002. Phylogenetic Relationships of North American Garter Snakes (Thamnophis) Based on Four Mitochondrial Genes: How Much DNA Sequence Is Enough? Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 22: 315-329 - get paper here Rodríguez-Robles, Javier A., Good, David A., Wake, David B. 2003. Brief History of Herpetology in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, with a List of Type Specimens of Recent Amphibians and Reptiles. UC Publications in Zoology, 119 pp. - get paper here Rossman, D.A. 1979. Morphological evidence for taxonomic partitioning of the Thamnophis elegans complex (Serpentes: Colubridae). Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool. Louisiana State Univ. (55): 1-12 - get paper here Rossman, D.A. & Stewart,G.R. 1987. Taxonomic reevaluation of Thamnophis couchii (Serpentes: Colubridae). Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool. Louisiana Sata Univ. (63): 1-25 - get paper here Rossman, Douglas A.; Ford, Neil B. & Seigel, Richard A. 1996. The Garter Snakes: Evolution and Ecology. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK, xx + 332 + pp. Sleijpen, Fons 2013. Picture: Thamnophis atratus atratus, adult, female. Litteratura Serpentium 33 (4): 330 - get paper here Stebbins,R.C. 1985. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, Boston Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp. Welsh, H.H., Jr., C.A. Wheeler & A.J. Lind 2010. Spatial Ecology of the Oregon Gartersnake, Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus, in a Free-Flowing Stream Environment Copeia 2010 (1): 75-85. - get paper here
External links	IUCN Red List National Center for Biotechnology Information http://www.wildherps.com/species/T.atratus.html https://www.facebook.com/groups/stshc/posts/713134317577836 Google images

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