The bluestripe ribbon snake (''Thamnophis saurita nitae''), which belongs in the same family as the

garter snake Garter snake is a common name for generally harmless, small to medium-sized snakes belonging to the genus ''Thamnophis'' in the family Colubridae. Native to North and Central America, species in the genus ''Thamnophis'' can be found from the sub ...

s, is a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the

ribbon snake Ribbon snake may refer to: * '' Thamnophis saurita'', also known as the eastern or common ribbon snake * '' Thamnophis proximus'', also known as the western ribbon snake {{disambig Animal common name disambiguation pages ...

that occurs along the

Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississ ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. Adults are thin and are black with a mid-dorsal stripe that is a lighter shade of black and two blue stripes, hence the name "bluestripe ribbon snake". They are semi-aquatic and are active during the day. They can be found by lakes, rivers, and slow-moving streams.

Diet

They eat frogs, salamanders, small fishes, earthworms, minnows, lizards, and insects.

Size

In adulthood they grow to be . They start out at after hatching.

References

Thamnophis sauritus nitae - Florida Museum of Natural History
{{Taxonbar, from=Q306906 Thamnophis Taxa named by Douglas A. Rossman