Thamnophis pulchrilatus
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The yellow-throated garter snake (Thamnophis pulchrilatus) is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. It is found in Mexico. Very little is known for certain about this snake, but it has been observed to reach lengths of 18–36 in (46–91 cm). They are distinguishable by their characteristic coloring, having a dark brown or black dorsal side accented with a yellow to light green stripe along the spine. A checkered yellow and black pattern can be observed along the sides, and the throat of the snake is bright yellow. Thamnophis pulchrilatus are relatively slender and light snakes.
This species has been considered a synonym of Thamnophis cyrtopsis or of Thamnophis eques. It was first described by Cope in 1885 as Eutaenia pulchrilatus. It is found mainly in wooded areas, specifically oak and pine forests at high elevations, but has occasionally been found in grassy fields as well. Some sources report that they inhabit the southwestern United States, but no sightings have ever been confirmed outside of Mexico, and these U.S. reports are likely T. cyrtopsis or T. eques.
These snakes are believed to eat small... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Mexican Highlands Gartersnake sighting in Mexico City on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 24th most-seen of the 37 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June–August and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mexican Highlands Gartersnake in Mexico City on a given day, against under 5% in September–October and December–May, the lowest months. Those are among Mexico City's wettest months, with about 120 mm of rain a month against 5 mm in December.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mexican Highlands Gartersnake sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Mexico City, in our data
Mexico City is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Mexican Highlands Gartersnake sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same genus: Thamnophis
The closest relatives of the Mexican Highlands Gartersnake that you can see in Mexico City (genus Thamnophis, Garter Snakes) are Blackbelly Garter Snake (about 10%), 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 Mexican Highlands Gartersnake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Mexico City (20 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.
