Diurnal! Yes, but not always.

[guidofatherof5]

Just wondered if any of you have found many of your local Garters out hunting after dark. I relay very heavily on the local nightcrawler in my backyard. On many occasions while hunting worms I have come across a Radix out doing the same thing. I have even fed some of them by hand. Just wondered if some of yours are doing the same thing.

[NetBSD]

i dotn see any out in the yard but im in the mioddle of town. however my garter does come out at night and roam his tank for food, specially if i drop a salamander in there. he isnt near as active at night during the day but i do see him out at night sometimes

[infernalis]

Ditto here. However sometimes we don't feed until midnight, so that may play a role in it.

It's 1:40 am right now, and Mojo is cruising looking for a guppy.

[guidofatherof5]

Wondering more about the wild ones outside. Mine to will come looking for a handout if I'm up late and near them. I have found a full range of ages and sizes outside hunting after dark. Sometimes at 2-3am. This seem to occur whether it's been a dry or wet time of year. I can't say I've ever seen large numbers at a time out. We have a very large population of Radixs in my area, which is residential. I happen to have a large lot size 190'x90' compared most.

[adamanteus]

I have watched Grass Snakes (Natrix natrix helvetica) hunting at night. These are pretty close in life-style to US Garters, and are supposedly diurnal. Unfortunately I can't comment on wild Garters.:(

[Sid]

My personal experience is the Garter are diurnal, but when the temps are really high you'll see them most often from later afternoon and after dark.

[Zephyr]

I've seen my garters wide awake well past midnight in my room enclosures, especially the wanderings. From my experience with wild snakes, about 8 PM midsummer is when they start to disappear, however I have found snakes out as late as 10 PM. Of course this is all at my friend's house or at the university estate so I couldn't really stick around well after dark...

[reptile3]

You all are lucky, I haven't seen any snakes, worms, or slugs!! I guess I need to camp out in my back yard!!:)

[Stefan-A]

The Garter Snakes: Evolution and Ecology (p. 99) mentions two nocturnal species: T. marcianus and T. hammondii.

[infernalis]

Unfortunately I can't comment on wild Garters.:(


Until July, then you can:D:D


Even if I have to go out and tie strings to their tails to make them stay put for you.

[jitami]

I found Ella in the driveway when she scared the crud out of me by slithering past my feet in the dark. I want to say it was fairly late... I'll have to look at her "found" thread :) It was after a hot summer day. Just checked and it was around 10:30 pm in late August.

[infernalis]

This would all make perfect sense.

Garters like cooler temps, food will be most abundant at dusk and dawn.

Combined with the only times I have ever witnessed a wild garter out cruising during the day was in the wetlands, in the shade. (excluding overcast wet rainy days)

Every single specimen I have ever documented, captured or witnessed during the daylight was under something, or right after it rained out.

Cheeto caught me totally by surprise, he was out cruising (wetlands) in the afternoon, I was not even looking for a snake that day.

[Loren]

I remember finding a Valley Garter (t fitchi) out on a rainy night once. For all I know it was flooded out of its hide spot though. If I was out in the rain, I would say I was most likely looking for amphibians, and it was the colder part of the year- so I doubt it was hunting.
I probably put on a thousand miles a year road cruising at night in prime garter habitats, and this is the only occurance I can think of. No fresh road kills come to mind either.
Doesnt mean they couldnt be active at waters edge, but not likely in my opinion, as at least a few of them would likely find their way onto a road(and then seen by me).
My experience would only be applicable to garter species found in central ca.

[Zephyr]

During the hottest weather in August I SAW a pair of what looked to be male easterns in the shade of a young pine tree in some brush. I saw no other snakes that day.
However, on the contrasting end of the story, I caught a wandering garter in Utah crossing a small field at about noon. All the other wanderers I found were either hanging on the water's edge or in the shade of willow trees, which had to be a good 15 degrees cooler than in the sunlight.