10 Varieties of Garter Snakes: Morphologies and Colors

Garter snakes, also referred to as garden snakes, are a widespread species of wild snake in North America. They are commonly found in gardens and near sources of water, such as ponds, rivers, and marshes. There are around 75 unique species and subspecies of these little, thin snakes. Due to their tiny size, they are able to adapt to a range of situations.

Garter snakes are reptiles with hind wings; although being somewhat poisonous, they pose little danger to humans. They are often kept as pets, and their bites seldom cause more than moderate swelling and irritation.

There are hundreds of possible distinct morphs among the several species and subspecies of Garter snakes, and more are being generated constantly. This article examines ten of the most recognizable and gorgeous Garter Snake variants. Let’s get started!

1. Common Garter Snake

The Common Garter Snake is one of the most ubiquitous snake species in the United States and one of the most common Garter snake types. They usually have a base color of olive, tan, grey, or black, with one or more cream stripes spanning the length of their bodies.

2. Anerythristic

The anerythrisic morph, which is defined as “lacking red pigments,” has a dark brown to black base hue with hints of blue and grey. In addition, they have a single white, cream, or grey dorsal stripe running down their bodies and lack the red spots frequently seen on numerous Garter variants.

3. Albino

Albinism is a rare beauty that sometimes occurs in the natural. Their patterns and size are comparable to those of typical Garter snakes, but their coloration and markings are lighter. They are often a mixture of white, cream, orange, peach, and yellow, with albino eyes that are pink. They are a very desirable Garter morph among collectors.

4. Blue morph

The blue morph Garter has a dark blue to black base color that ranges from deep blues to a bluish-white hue over its body. They normally have light-blue bellies, however some with entirely black bellies have been seen. Their bodies may also have a greenish or yellowish blue hue. They are a favorite among collectors.

5. Flame

The distinctive red morph, known as the “flame” morph, occurs naturally in a limited region of southwestern Canada among wild Garter snakes. They are immediately identifiable, gorgeous snakes with red, orange, and yellow hues rising from their belly to create a burning look. They often have a white dorsal stripe, which may alternatively be orange or red. As you can expect, these snakes are very sought after by collectors yet are quite hard to locate.

6. Orange

The orange morph is patterned similarly to the regular Garter snake, but its basic color is a rich orange that blends into lighter browns and tans. They often have a light orange dorsal stripe, an orange or light red belly, and red dots or flecks all over their bodies.

7. Red

Red Garter variants are rather frequent in the wild and have been seen in the United States and Canada. They often have a dark green or brown base color with red patches on the sides of their bodies. Additionally, they have a cream or yellow dorsal stripe, and some red variants have minor traces of red dotting their bodies, while others have obvious red and black patterning.

8. Snow

The Iowa Snow morph is a very unusual morph. They are pink at birth but tend to darken as they age. Their base color may range from yellow to pearly white, and they have a slight dorsal stripe and brilliant red eyes. Additionally, there is the Nebraska Snow, which has a lavenderr mature coloration, a faint yellow dorsal stripe, and dark red eyes.

9. Melanistic

One of the most stunning Garter morphs, melanistic morphs are completely jet black with a thin grey dorsal stripe and a little white patch on the chin. The melanistic gene is present in several Garter species, allowing almost all types to acquire its jet-black colour with varying degrees of subtle patterning and patterns.

10. Speckled Flame

The consequence of mating two unrelated red morphs, the speckled flame morph exhibits varied degrees of orange, yellow, and red, as well as black speckles across its body. Typically, they have orange bellies with orange or red dorsal stripes. Some of these snakes have the same patterns as the renowned “flame” morph, but these patterns are intermingled with black, red, and yellow spots.