Thamnophis melanogaster
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The blackbelly garter snake (Thamnophis melanogaster) is a species of snake of the family Colubridae. It is found in Mexico. First described as Tropidonotus melanogaster by Peters in 1864, this species is now recognized as Thamnophis melanogaster.
It is found on the Central Mexican Plateau at elevations between 1,158 and 2,545 m above sea level. The dorsal color of these snakes may be brown, olive green, gray, red, orange, or pink. Ventral colors include the same as the dorsal, with the addition of yellow. Dorsal patterns may include stripes and there is typically a black stripe running down the center of the belly, which explains both the common and scientific names for this species. There is little or no difference in size between the sexes of Blackbelly garter snakes.
This is a terrestrial species that occurs in temperate habitats. Although it lives on land, it has not been found more than 15 m from a body of water. Blackbelly garter snakes are ovoviviparous. These snakes feed exclusively under water and they are the only known Thamnophis to prey on soft-bodied crayfish. They... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Blackbelly Garter Snake sighting in Mexico City on a given day, based on 138 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 7th 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 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–October and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Blackbelly Garter Snake in Mexico City on a given day, against under 5% in January and November, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Blackbelly Garter Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Blackbelly Garter Snake sightings, Mexico City ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Toluca (México, about 10%).
Same genus: Thamnophis
The closest relatives of the Blackbelly Garter Snake that you can see in Mexico City (genus Thamnophis, Garter Snakes) are Mexican Gartersnake (about 10%) and Short-tail Alpine Garter Snake (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Blackbelly Garter Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Mexico City (138 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.
