Western Plains Garter Snake

Saskatchewan garter snake © SB   

Oh, what a lovely snake! Truly, this Western Plains Garter Snake is gorgeous, though completely unnerving if it twitches in front of your foot, where you thought there was only grass...

I came across this snake in the cemetery at Lebret, Saskatchewan, a day after being startled by a similar one near Fort Qu'Appelle, SK.

This is a Thamnophis radix, a common Saskatchewan garter snake. As the University of Alberta says, the quick way to ID this species is this: If you look down into the grass and see a dark snake with a red or orange stripe, it's likely to be the WPGS, aka, Thamnophis radix haydeni. 

This garter snake seemed totally unafraid of me. A good thing, as that meant it was prepared to pose!

All pictures taken September 10, 2011, in the Lebret, SK, Cemetery.

A loooonnnngggg snake © SB

I am now very scared... © SB   

Okay, maybe I'm not frightened after all... © SB  

What is this? Thamnophis radix, the Western Plains Garter Snake. 
Location: Cemetery, Lebret, Saskatchewan.

Photo Date: September 10, 2011.

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