Illustration of garter snake
garter snake
noun
: any of a genus (Thamnophis) of harmless viviparous American snakes with longitudinal stripes on the back
Examples of garter snake in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For example, the butler's garter snake, which is a special concern species in Wisconsin, has habitats in southern Wisconsin, including in Milwaukee County.
—
Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 6 June 2023
Staring at the wall, Hall soon noticed more garter snakes and screamed.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 10 May 2023
In Canada, for example, Goode explains, garter snakes are known to hide out in dens with over 20,000 garter snakes in one spot.
—Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 24 Feb. 2023
The common garter snake is most populous in Wisconsin, the DNR notes.
—Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 6 June 2023
Many garter snakes have babies in the summer, so Hall is anxious the problem will worsen.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 10 May 2023
Not all garter snakes develop the tolerance, and researchers have found it’s based on location and exposure to the newts.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 17 Feb. 2023
The homeowner had found a garter snake.
—Staff Reports Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 26 Sep. 2020
For example, a triangulate cobweb spider (which comes from Eurasia and is a close relative of the noble false widow spider) has been observed subduing a garter snake that was 355 times heavier than itself.
—Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 16 Mar. 2023
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Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 6 June 2023
Staring at the wall, Hall soon noticed more garter snakes and screamed.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 10 May 2023
In Canada, for example, Goode explains, garter snakes are known to hide out in dens with over 20,000 garter snakes in one spot.
—Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 24 Feb. 2023
The common garter snake is most populous in Wisconsin, the DNR notes.
—Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 6 June 2023
Many garter snakes have babies in the summer, so Hall is anxious the problem will worsen.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 10 May 2023
Not all garter snakes develop the tolerance, and researchers have found it’s based on location and exposure to the newts.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 17 Feb. 2023
The homeowner had found a garter snake.
—Staff Reports Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 26 Sep. 2020
For example, a triangulate cobweb spider (which comes from Eurasia and is a close relative of the noble false widow spider) has been observed subduing a garter snake that was 355 times heavier than itself.
—Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 16 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'garter snake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1743, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near garter snake
Cite this Entry
“Garter snake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/garter%20snake. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
garter snake
noun
: any of numerous harmless American snakes with stripes along the back
More from Merriam-Webster on garter snake
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for garter snake
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about garter snake
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