Thamnophis proximus
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% 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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Western Ribbon Snake sighting in Palo Verde National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 21 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and September
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Western Ribbon Snake in Palo Verde National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–August and November–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.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Western Ribbon Snake sightings, Palo Verde National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Padre Island National Seashore (United States, about 40%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Western Ribbon Snake that you can see in Palo Verde National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Central American Lyresnake (about 40%), Rhombic Cat-eyed Snake (about 40%) and Cope's Snail Sucker (about 20%), 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 Palo Verde National Park (13 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.
