Doug Weshler in his book "Garter Snakes" writes this
"A garter snake is a dark snake with three long yellow stripes on its back. Between the stripes it has a checkerboard pattern. This is one of the most familiar snakes in North America. It is a garter snake. The garter snake got its name from the garters that some men wore to hold up their socks. The garters were brightly colored just like the stripes on the snakes. Not all garter snakes have yellow stripes some have red orange blue or green stripes a few have no stripes at all. There are 30 species of garter snakes. They live from the middle of Canada to Costa Rico in Central America. The longest garter snake is the giant garter snake. It grows to be 5 feet long. The smallest garter snake is the adult short headed garter snake. It is about 16 inches long. The short headed garter snake lives only in a small part of western Pennsylvania and western New York. The most familiar garter snake is the common garter snake. It is found all across southern Canada and in all but the driest parts of the United States. Another garter garter snake that is widely seen is the ribbon snake. Ribbon snakes are long skinny garter snakes that are usually found near water. Commen garter snakes eat many types of foods babies feed on worms and leeches. As they grow they start to eat fish tadpoles and frogs. Some of the largest common garter snakes eat mostly meadow mice. Some garter snakes eat only a few kinds foods for example the short headed garter snakes eats nothing but earthworms. The northwestern garter snake dines on slugs and worms. Giant garter snakes and ribbon snakes live in and near water and eat fish and frogs. A baby garter snake looks fierce as it opens its mouth wide to bite a worm. It pulls the worm toward its body and swallows it. A minute later the worm is gone and the snake is fatter. Garter snakes that eat fish need to learn to grab the fish by the head. It is very hard to swallow a fish tail first. Garter snakes grab fish from the surface of the water or underwater. A large garter snake grabs a mouse with its teeth the snake then loops its body around the mouse to hold on to it the venom in the snakes saliva slows the mouse down as the snake starts to eat it for dinner. Snakes that live where the winters are cold have to hibernate. Garter snakes often hibernate together in dens the den might be a small cave a pile of of rocks covered with soil or a well the den must stay above freezing temperature or the snakes will die. The snakes also have to stay cool. When a snake is cool it uses less energy. By spending the winter in a cool den garter snakes have plenty of energy when they come out in the spring. The most amazing garter snake dens are in Manitoba Canada. There thousands of garter snakes spend the winter together in small caves. On the first few warm spring days there are so many snakes outside the den that they look like a big helping of dark spaghetti. Many species of garter snakes are common in most of the United States and southern Canada. The best places to look for them are near streams in wet meadows and in fields. Garter snakes like to have some sun so dark forests are not good places to look.They like water too so you will not find them in desserts without water. Garter snakes often rest under boards and flat rocks do not lift boards and rocks with your fingers if poisonous snakes also live in the area. Garter snakes may try to bite but they usually calm down if handled gently. Garter snakes are harmless to humans."
