Tips for
IDENTIFYING SNAKES
Northwestern Garter Snake, Thamnophis ordinoides
Northwestern Garter Snake, Thamnophis ordinoides

Snake identification sometimes requires close examination of obscure details. For example, above, that's a garter snake. However, in North America there are several look-alike garter snake species, plus ribbon snakes look a lot like garter snakes. Therefore, if we want to be sure about what species of snake we have, we need to pay attention to such obscure characteristics as those referred to below:

Shed snake skin

divided anal scale of, probably, a pink form of Scorpion-hunting Snake, Stenorrhina freminvillei
Divided anal scale

Anal plates are important when identifying groups of snakes. Garter snakes, king snakes, and pit vipers, for instance, have single or undivided anal plates, but water snakes, racers, and rat snakes have divided ones.