Thamnophis proximus
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Thamnophis proximus, commonly known as the western ribbon snake or western ribbonsnake, is a species of garter snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is found in the central and southern United States, Mexico, and Central America south to central Costa Rica. The species has six recognized subspecies.
T. proximus is a slender snake with a very long tail, approximately one-third of the total length of the body. Dorsally, T. proximus is blackish, brown, or olive with three light-colored stripes. Ventrally, it is greenish-white or yellowish-white. The upper labials are whitish and unmarked, contrasting with the dark top and sides of the head. The specific name, proximus, describes the species' similarity to T. saurita.
Adults measure 17–50 in (43–127 cm) in total length (including the tail). Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Palo Verde National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Houston Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Ribbon Snake sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 198 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 14th most-seen of the 37 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Western Ribbon Snake in Austin on a given day, against about 10% in June–September and November–April, the lowest months. Those are among Austin's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain a month against 45 mm in February.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Ribbon Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 5
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Western Ribbon Snake sightings, Austin ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Houston (United States, about 20%).
Same genus: Thamnophis
The closest relatives of the Western Ribbon Snake that you can see in Austin (genus Thamnophis, Garter Snakes) are Checkered Garter Snake (about 10%) and Black-necked Gartersnake (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Ribbon Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Austin (198 verified sightings), 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.
