• Garter : official name for the common garden snake

• Location :  North and Central America

• Habitat :  ponds, wetlands, forests, fields, streams, and prairies 

• Coloring :  one or two red, yellow or white stripes on the back with rows of blotchy stripes in between

• Size :  most garter snakes are under 24 inches long

•  Hunting :  garter snakes kill their prey by suffocating it, though somtimes they swallow smaller animals without killing them first

• Food :  earthworms, insects, leeches, lizards, birds, fish, and rodents

• Reproduction :  3 to 50 snakes per litter