Thamnophis proximus
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Western Ribbon Snake sighting in Houston on a given day, based on 420 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 6th most-seen of the 30 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–August and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Western Ribbon Snake in Houston on a given day, against about 10% in September and November–January, the lowest months.
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.
Yes
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Western Ribbon Snake sightings, Houston has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Austin (United States, about 10%) and Monterrey (México, about 10%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Western Ribbon Snake that you can see in Houston (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Banded Water Snake (about 20%), Rough Earthsnake (about 10%) and Plain-bellied Water Snake (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 Houston (420 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.
