garter snake
nounDefinition of garter snake
: any of a genus (Thamnophis) of harmless viviparous American snakes with longitudinal stripes on the back
Illustration of garter snake
Examples of garter snake in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There were the 2,000 or so box turtles let loose on South Michigan Avenue — allegedly on the orders of a petulant Al Capone — as well as a humble garter snake that subdued an escaped gorilla at the Lincoln Park Zoo. — Nara Schoenberg, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago alligator joins a long line of local reptiles that have stirred up trouble. Here are some of the most famous.," 16 July 2019 And then, in a flash of inspiration, Bushman’s keeper sent for a harmless 2-foot garter snake. — Nara Schoenberg, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago alligator joins a long line of local reptiles that have stirred up trouble. Here are some of the most famous.," 16 July 2019 The longer season is great for tomatoes, but warmer temperatures have brought ticks and garter snakes to southeast Alaska, Lowenfels said. — Richard Read, latimes.com, "Baked Alaska: It’s beach time as a heat wave hits cities across the state," 5 July 2019 People in and around Louisville are most likely to see Eastern garter snakes, which eat earthworms, and DeKay's brown snakes, which eat slugs. — Sarah Ladd, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville is the 'snakiest city' in Kentucky and all this rain has them slithering out," 24 June 2019 One example: garter snakes, who engage in massive, tangled orgies so exhausting the males age faster and die sooner. — Kelly Murray, CNN, "These Aussie marsupials are having so much sex they are literally killing themselves," 15 May 2018 Researchers identified no species immune to the fungal disease, found already in wild species such as garter snakes, milk snakes and vipers in the eastern United States, as well as three species in Europe. — Josh Hafner, USA TODAY, "'Worst-case scenario': Deadly snake fungus threatens species across the world," 21 Dec. 2017 Responding to a call about a snake that became tangled in garden mesh netting, an officer removed the garter snake and released it to the wild. — Washington Post, "Fairfax County Animal Watch," 5 Sep. 2017 Common garter snakes, for example, birth live young, while pythons lay eggs and guard them. — National Geographic, "Oh Baby! Which Animal Families Lay Eggs and Live Birth?," 16 Jan. 2016These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'garter snake.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more