Poisonous garter snakes

[nsducktoller]

T. sirtalis are poisonous?

A resistant predator and its toxic prey: persistence of newt toxin leads to poisonous (not venomous) snakes
J Chem Ecol. October 2004;30(10):1901-19.
Becky L Williams 1, Edmund D Brodie, Jr, Edmund D Brodie, 3rd
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Article AbstractThe common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) preys upon the rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa), which contains the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin (TTX) in the skin. TTX is toxic, large quantities are present in a newt, and highly resistant snakes have the ability to ingest multiple newts; subsequently snakes harbor significant amounts of active toxin in their own tissues after consuming a newt. Snakes harbor TTX in the liver for 1 mo or more after consuming just one newt, and at least 7 wk after consuming a diet of newts. Three weeks after eating one newt, snakes contained an average of 42 microg of TTX in the liver. This amount could severely incapacitate or kill avian predators, and mammalian predators may be negatively affected as well.

[guidofatherof5]

Yep, garters have a mild neurotoxic venom. They don't have a delivery system like most venomous snakes. Garter will chew on prey, the venom runs down the teeth and into the wound. I've been bitten hundreds of time by garter and on a couple occasions had a reaction to the bite if I were chewed on.
Check out this link about the Duvernoy's Gland. Duvernoy's Glands and "Warm" Herping (http://www.anapsid.org/duvernoygland.html)

[nsducktoller]

No, I was not talking about venom. I was talking about poison. They accumulate tetrodotoxin from eating newts, and it makes them toxic.

[guidofatherof5]

Sorry, I thought your were talking from a bite perspective.

[Zdravko092368]

Indeed, garter snakes are both venomous and poisonous in some places. There is very few snakes that can make this claim, although garters venom can hardly be considered significant. Garters are immune to tetrodotoxin, primarly sirtalis subspecies in the West Coast region, they eat the newts and sequester the toxins in their liver making them a fatal meal to predators. I suspect this is why garters evolved their bright red coloration along the west coast, you see it in infernalis and concinnus as well as Coast garters have completely erythristic populations in many parts of their range there.

[Qwerty3159]

Rhabdophis tigrinus eats poisonous frogs and becomes poisonous as well. Its probably pretty common with snakes that eat poisonous amphibians.

[guidofatherof5]

Rhabdophis tigrinus eats poisonous frogs and becomes poisonous as well. Its probably pretty common with snakes that eat poisonous amphibians.

Didn't know that about the Tiger snake.

[Zdravko092368]

Didn't know that about the Tiger snake.

They are pretty interesting and take it a step further, they actually have nuchal glands in their neck that store the toxin and they present their neck to predators showing off the red/orange colors.


https://www.thailandsnakes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Rhabdophis-subminiatus-nuchal-gland-poison.jpg

^ Here you can see one with the poison oozing out, similar to the glands around a toads neck.

[guidofatherof5]

Very cool, love new information.