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Are garter snakes and gardner snakes the same thing? I was sure they were, but now I'm not sure... PLEASE HELP! I was/am going to get what this guy said was a gardner snake so I casually assumed that he meant garter snake and I got all this info off the net and I wanted to know if it was all a big waste of my time. So, was it? Or are they both the same? HELP!

Albino Sun-Lover

I'm not familiar with a snake called a gardner snake. I think it's just a mispronunciation of garter. Happens all the time. Most of the snakes I heard called gardner were garter snakes (or water snakes or dekays or ribbons or some other small snake; it's kind of generically used). If you want to make sure you have a garter snake- check out the garter and ribbon snake forum and look at some of the pics there. You can also do a search on google.com and you'll get lots of hits that might help you to identify your snake.
Lora

I actually don't know what the snake looks like yet. I was visiting a friends farm when he found a snake. A soon as the news got around to me I went out into his garden to find him. To my dismay, it was gone. He said it was brown and about two feet long. I'm not exactly sure of the pattern or the way the brown was placed, but he said it was a garter, so I'm guessing he was right. But 2' long is how long the average garter gets to be, right? To narrow down the location, my friends farm is about 2 miles from Lake Erie in Ohio, USA. I put USA because I'm not sure how many countries visit this site, and for all I know, you could be from London! So, do you think it has the possibility to be a garter? I also have another question. Does the appitite of a garter snake vary from species to species of garter snakes?

Albino Sun-Lover
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Bon appitite!

Could be a garter, but could easily be something else. Lots of snakes can be 2' and brown.
Some garter species are more prey-specific than others.
As far as "gardner," as common names, anything goes. Garter, gardner, garden, grass, and on and on are all perfectly acceptable and commonly used names for commonly seen snakes. That's why Linnaeus used Latin.
Good luck catching the critter.
-Jack
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...and I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."

"Gardner" is a horrible mis-pronunciation of Garter, I've heard it for 10 years. Its also common for people to call them "garden" snakes, and continue to argue their point..."Garter" refers to the elastic bands that used to keep up..underpants, and other undergarments. These bands resemble the stripes on a garter snakes back and sides. Theres is no species of snake named "Gardner".
-Mike

To the uninformed public-at-large, there are basically 4 kinds of snakes, all potentially deadly. There are the snakes which are found in or around water, all of which are referred to as Water Moccasins There are those which are found in your yard and are over 2 feet long, all of which are referred to as "Chicken Snakes". There are those which are under 3 feet long and found in your yard and are all referred to as "Gardener Snakes" or Garden Snakes". And finally, there are those that rattle their tails and are referred to as "Rattlers". The presence of actual rattles on the tail is not a requisite feature. Everyone knows that the "Rattlers" that have rattles frequently interbreed with the ones that don't, so some don't have rattles but are equally deadly.

The first and last groups, the "moccasins" and "rattlers" are the most deadly. The proper protocal for dealing with these depends entirely on where you find it. If it's in your yard, you first must emit a blood-curdling scream (so as to warn anyone else within earshot), run and grab a hoe and return to chop it into at least 12 pieces, wait for sundown, then dispose of the pieces in the woods. If it is seen on the road, yell "SNAKE!". Then every effort must be made to run over it at least once. Make sure that you warn the people at the tire store next time you are having a used tire mounted because the snake may have left one of it's fangs in the tire, which will remain deadly to the touch for at least 5 years.

The other two groups, the "gardeners" or Garden Snakes" and the "chicken snakes" don't necessarily have to be killed, but the warning scream is still to be issued. If it is in very close proximity to your home, it is best to go ahead and kill it. A hoe works fine on these too, but you can use a big stick if you want to. It's good to have a few of these snakes around. Nobody really knows why for sure, but some Biologist guy told Delbert down at the filling station that a few years ago, so it must be right. Delbert is usually right about most things.

Make sure to take the pieces as far away from your house as you can right after sundown. If you don't the snake's mate will come looking for it and when it finds the pieces it will set out to bite anyone around. If you get bitten by any of them, as long as you pack some chewing tobacco on the bite right away, you probably won't die.

Don’t forget the dreaded HOOP snake! This reptile grabs its tail and forms a hoop and chases you 5 miles until you die from running or it bites you then you die tired.

Thought I saw one once turned out to be and old bike inter tube. Just my luck.

According to the locals here in Ohio, gardener snakes (every syllable prounounced) are the only ones you don't have to worry about because they don't got no teeth. Snakes without teeth aren't scary, but snakes with teeth are definetely venomous. So gardeners are the ONE snake that you don't have to whack to death.

Here in Indiana all snakes are cottonmouths. Best kilt afor it gets the kids.

Ain't it funny how a snake's range can get extended so easily by the locals. The western cottonmouth enters Indiana in the extreme southern end...comparable to a Florida snake being limited to the Keys.

~~Greg~~

The water moccasin doesn't officially enter Ohio at all. This is obviously a coverup because they are constantly spotted everywhere, even up by lake Erie. No, really, my cousin saw one in the Olentangy.

They're everywhere!

In extreme southeast Alabama there's even a "Water Rattler". Ain't no snake scientist ever studied that one, I reckon. It ain't in none of them books. I see 'em all the time, though.

In Louisiana, there's two different kinds. There's the Water Moccasin and then there's the Cottonmouth. They're different. Both of them are "poisonous". Cottonmouths get bigger than Water Moccasins and they are darker colored. The Cottonmouth is more poisonous than the Water Moccasin but they'll both kill you.

And dont forget that Milk snakes suck milk from cows udders, and they are also venomous, AND they are "indistinguishable" from copperheads.
-Mike

Great post- you must have growed up in my neck of the woods...
Lora