The Western Ribbon Snake is a long, slender garter snake with a striped body and a very long tail, which makes up nearly a third of its total length. It looks like an elongated version of its closest relative, the Common Garter Snake. It features three stripes – the central stripe, running down the spine, ranges from greyish-tan to gold, reddish or orange. They are medium sized snakes, averaging 20 to 30 inches in length.
The diet of the Western Ribbon Snake consists mainly of amphibians, including frogs, toads and salamanders. It also consumes fish. This reptile is a day-active predator that hunts for its prey largely by sight.
This reptile is a semiaquatic species and most commonly associated with brushy or grassy areas close to water. It may be found near swamps, marshes, ponds, rivers, streams, lakes or damp meadows. When alarmed, they are just as likely to enter water than take cover on land. Instead of diving, they skirt effortlessly across the top of the water. They also climb well and are sometimes seen in bushes or shrubs close to water.
Their streamlined shape, bold markings, bright colors and mild disposition make encounters with these slender serpents on the limestone bluffs of Shawnee National Forest enjoyable ones.