HARMLESS. The Checkered Gartersnake is characterized by keeled scales, a single anal scale, a narrow stripe on each side of the body located on the second and third scale rows (counting from the belly up), and a large, yellow or cream crescent-shaped mark on each side of the head behind the angle of the jaws. In addition to the narrow yellowish stripe on each side of the body, a similarly colored stripe runs down the middle of the back. The dorsal stripe is often encroached upon by the adjacent black spots giving it a jagged appearance (but not always). All three stripes start at the head and run down the body onto the tail. A pattern of two rows of alternating dark rectangles between the dorsal and lateral stripes, forming a checkerboard effect. The labials have black bars of varying thickness between them. A transverse white to cream crescent-shaped blotch, bordered by black, behind each corner of the mouth. There is a pair of light spots on top of the head along the suture of the parietal scales. The belly is yellowish with no pattern. Dark pigment on the posterior upper labials (lip scales) that matches the color of the temporals (large scales behind the postoculars [which border the eye]). Adult males have longer tails than females. Females grow larger than males. The young look like the adults.
Adults grow 45.7-61.0 cm (18-24 inches) in total length. The largest specimen from Kansas is a female (KU 158493) from Comanche County with a total length of 846 cm (33¼ inches) collected by Stanley Roth, William Bradley, and Ray E. Ashton on 10 May 1975. The maximum length throughout the range is 108.6 cm (42¾ inches) (Boundy, 1995).
The Checkered Gartersnake is found along the southern Kansas border west of the Chikaskia River.
Cornelius Rogers captured a specimen at the edge of an irrigation ditch in a vegetable garden at Lake City, Barber County, Kansas, on June 25, 1934 (Burt, 1934).
Smith (1946) considered KU 5434 (from Meade County) to be a natural hybrid of T. marcianus and T. radix. Herein, KU 5434, is used in the account of T. marcianus.
Fleharty and Ittner (1967) reported two specimens FHSM 1560 ('1 mi. N and 1 mi. E of Liebenthal, Ellis Co., on 4 May 1964 along the Smoky Hill River') and FHSM 3697 ('... taken from a moist abandoned cistern, 14 mi. S of Rush Center, Rush Co., on 7 May 1966'). These have been re-identified as Thamnophis radix (Taggart 2000). Ellis and Rush (and Meade) counties have a relatively high proportion of achromatic specimens, which more resemble T. marcianus at first glance.
Mozley (1877) listed this species from Douglas County, Kansas, and was likely the basis by which Cragin (1880) included it in his list of Kansas herpetofauna. Branson (1903) examined the material listed by Mozley and could find no T. marcianus, and since no other specimens were known, he excluded them from his list of Kansas snakes. Thamnophis marcianus is not found within 150 miles of Douglas County and suitable habitat does not exist, however, T. radix, T. sirtalis, and T. proximus all occur there.
Taylor (1929) and Tihen (1937) made the earliest habitat observations on the Checkered Gartersnake in Kansas. Their specimens were collected around lakes or near springs in Meade and Morton counties. Miller (1978) reported two specimens of the Checkered Gartersnake from Sumner County which were found in treeless areas near water. They were collected on 10 May and 11 September. He also recorded a specimen taken on 10 May in Comanche County and found another example on 23 September in Barber County following heavy rains. Miller (1983) discovered two Checkered Gartersnakes in Barber County on 29 May and 3 June; both were crossing gravel roads in the late afternoon and evening.
Miller (1987) reported two more of these snakes in Barber County; the first was found active on 18 May on the shale bank of a northwest-facing slope, and the second was taken in the twilight zone of a gypsum cave on 17 August. This snake is active from April to October. It forages for food by day around bodies of water but may become nocturnal during extremely hot weather. During winter, it retreats into small mammal burrows or deep in crevices on rocky hillsides to avoid cold temperatures.
Mating in this species occurs during the spring after emergence from winter inactivity. Courtship is not known in Kansas. Each female may produce from six to eighteen young during June, July, or August. Species of Thamnophis are viviparous and develop functional chorioallantoic and omphalallantoic placentae. Although embryos are predominantly lecithotrophic, substantial maternal transfer of respiratory gases, water, sodium, and calcium occurs, and experimental evidence demonstrates organic nutrient transfer consistent with incipient placentotrophy.
The Checkered Gartersnake feeds on earthworms, frogs, toads, fishes, and possibly small rodents. Predators of this species include large birds, mammals, and other snakes (Collins, 1993)
In Kansas, the Checkered Gartersnake is known only from a few widely spaced (yet steadily reported) records along the Oklahoma border from Sumner County west to Morton County. There is no evidence that is declining. Kansas is the extreme northern periphery of its range. One of the principal factors contributing to our dearth of knowledge is that few herpetologists live in the region where they occur.
Miller (1987, 2010) summarized our knowledge of this species in Kansas, and little information has been obtained since then. He was especially successful in discovering this species in southwest Barber and southwest Sumner counties.
Ball (1992) reported observing 16 specimens in Morton County during the period 1985-1991. He considered them to be locally abundant; however, he collected no specimens and no specific localities were mentioned.
The most recent verified records in the state are three DORs; one each in Morton and Barber counties (Taggart 2010) and one in Comanche County; discovered by Josh Mead in 2016.
Platt et al. (1974) recommended discontinuing use of persistent pesticides in areas where the Checkered Gartersnake is known to occur. Listed as a Kansas Threatened species in 1987. No recovery plan has been completed for this species.
As defined by the Kansas Administrative Regulations, critical habitats include those areas documented as currently supporting self-sustaining population(s) of any threatened or endangered species of wildlife as well as those areas determined by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism to be essential for the conservation of any threatened or endangered species of wildlife.
The following counties contain designated critical habitat for the Checkered Gartersnake in Kansas: Barber, Comanche, Harper, and Sumner.
Based on a captive specimen, Snider and Bowler (1992) reported a maximum longevity for this snake of seven years, six months, and 26 days.
References
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