Thamnophis saurita
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
Thamnophis saurita, also known as the eastern ribbon snake, common ribbon snake, or simply ribbon snake, is a common species of garter snake native to Eastern North America. It is a non-venomous species of snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The ribbon snake averages 16 to 35 inches (41 to 89 cm) in total length (including tail). It is dark brown with bright yellow stripes. The ribbon snake is not sexually dimorphic; however, females are normally thicker than their male counterparts.
The ribbon snake can be found in wet climates such as lakes, streams, ponds and marshes. The ribbon snake is active from April to October and hibernates during the winter months. Maturity is reached around 3 years of age.
Ranges from New York to Florida, west to the Mississippi River. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecomuseum Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Ribbon Snake sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, based on 55 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 18th most-seen of the 37 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Ribbon Snake in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, against about 10% in January and November, the lowest months. That is one of Big Cypress National Preserve's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain against 40 mm in March.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ribbon Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Ribbon Snake sightings, Big Cypress National Preserve has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Everglades National Park (United States, about 30%) and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ribbon Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Big Cypress National Preserve (55 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
