What is the most common snake in America?

This species of snakes belongs to the Natricinae subfamily. The snakes are widespread mostly in North America and actually pose no threat to a human being.

CGSs are known as innocuous, but their saliva is toxic for smaller animals while humans might get only skin rashes.

The coloring of their skin looks rather attractive with thin yellow stripes stretched across the whole body of the snake.

Almost all the snakes of this genus are usually timid and harmless, so you shouldn't get too scared when you see them.

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130 Comments

Will C Barker

the photo is NOT? a garter snake, so why the photo?

Josephine White

The Garter is the most common

Paul Kelly

It's copperhead, not cooperhead and they smell like rotten cucumbers when agitated

wattsican

"WHAT"??? there's no MLB team named the garters..!!😄

jaszart

Stretched along the length of the snake. The word 'across' implies around the snake. Don't want to confuse the markings of snakes. i.e. The coral snake stripes around or across the body of the snake has very toxic nerve toxins.

greenteresa

Wendy Wilkins Valdez, I didn’t know that. We live in NE Indiana and see anywhere from 15-3 per summer. It depends on how wet the Spring is.

Stuart Glaze

Feed mine goldfish.

Dcox

So you don’t know the answer.Will C Barker,

Kat Dollarhide

They are common in Western Washington. They also sometimes have red lines instead of yellow or greenish yellow stripes. I used to play with them as a kid, and once scared my grandmother, by picking up a handful of baby ones. They exude a stinky musk as a defense, but they are good for gardens and surrounds as they eat bad insects. They are more scared of people, than vice versa, and will try to escape detection.