Thamnophis proximus
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
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 |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Western Ribbon Snake sighting in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, based on 124 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 15 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–July and September
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Western Ribbon Snake in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, against about 20% in October to February, 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 4 parks where we can rate Western Ribbon Snake sightings, Padre Island National Seashore has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica, about 20%) and Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park (Mexico, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Ribbon Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Padre Island National Seashore (124 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.
