Description: A brilliantly colored, 2 to 3 foot long, 3 striped, garter snake. Dorsal stripe yellow to orange, lateral stripes white to pale yellow. A large black blotch on each side of the neck. 2 rows of alternating checkerboard spots on each side between the vertebral and the lateral stripes. A large black blotch on each side of the neck and 3 rows of alternating checkerboard spots on each side, 2 between the vertebral and the lateral stripes and 1 below the lateral stripe. A single row of small black spots below each lateral stripe. Belly plain white, greenish, or light brown. Scales keeled. Juveniles like adults but more precisely patterned.

Habitat: Western Black-necked Gartersnakes are usually found within the vicinity of streams and other small bodies of water along rocky slopes or in canyon bottoms. Vegetation usually consists of oak or juniper trees, but can sometimes be found in grasslands around dry washes.

Range: USA (SW Texas, New Mexico); Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Chihuahua); Type locality: Rinconada, Coahuila.

Found in these States: AZ | CO | NM | OK | TX | UT

Diet: It is an opportunistic feeder, meaning they will eat a variety of prey. In general, this snake will feed on amphibians and their larvae, fish, and invertebrates.

Reproduction: Ovoviviparous. It gives birth to up to up to 25 young in late spring or summer.

Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the large and probably relatively stable extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size. No major threats are known

Taxonomy: