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
The endangered Chiricahuan leopard frog and the northern Mexican garter snake in Arizona count among those directly threatened by this backyard bully.
—
Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Only a few thousand San Francisco garter snakes are estimated to remain in the wild.
—Pepper St. Clair, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
While some species hang out solo, others, such as garter snakes, may gather in a communal area, called a hibernaculum.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026
Populations that tend to aggregate in deep, well-insulated dens (like the famous mass overwintering dens of red-sided garter snakes in Manitoba, for instance) reduce exposure to freezing events.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for garter snake
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Only a few thousand San Francisco garter snakes are estimated to remain in the wild.
—Pepper St. Clair, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
While some species hang out solo, others, such as garter snakes, may gather in a communal area, called a hibernaculum.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026
Populations that tend to aggregate in deep, well-insulated dens (like the famous mass overwintering dens of red-sided garter snakes in Manitoba, for instance) reduce exposure to freezing events.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for garter snake
Cite this Entry
“Garter snake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/garter%20snake. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
