Eastern Gartersnake vs. Eastern Ribbonsnake

Eastern Gartersnakes are often confused for Eastern Ribbonsnakes as both snakes are similarly colored, patterned, and are very closely related. Gartersnakes are terrestrial predators that often do not stray far from water, while Ribbons are more semi-aquatic, slender, and agile. Ribbons often hunt is shrubs and grasses along marshes, while Garters hunt through several habitats, such as fields, forest, and urban neighborhoods. Here are 9 easy ways to distinguish these two snakes. 

Eastern Gartersnake - © Ty Smith

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Eastern Gartersnake - © Ty Smith

1. Gartersnakes are thick snakes as adults, while  Ribbonsnakes have a clear "chopstick" build.

2. Gartersnakes have distinct, black bars on the trailing edge of each labial (lip) scale. Ribbonsnakes do not.

3. Gartersnakes have much larger heads in comparison to  Ribbonsnakes

4. Gartersnakes often have clear "checkers" in their dorsal stripes. Ribbonsnakes never have these, but may have pale "windows".

5. Ribbonsnakes have much larger eyes compared to their heads than Gartersnakes.

6. Gartersnakes have dots down the edge of their ventral scales, and Ribbons have plain bellies. 

Eastern Ribbonsnake - © Ty Smith

Eastern Gartersnake - © Ty Smith

7. Ribbonsnakes have a white crescent in front of their eye, which Gartersnakes lack.

8. Ribbonsnake have a dark scale row between their ventral scales and the thin, pale line that runs down their flanks. Eastern Gartersnakes' stripes sit on the ventral scales. 

9. Ribbonsnakes have a very clean line from their eye to neck of where the dorsal pattern starts and the venteral color begins. Garters have messy patterns behind their eye.

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