• Visitors stand on the boardwalk of Grand Prismatic, the park's largest hot spring which is ringed with orange, brown and yellow runoff channels.

    Yellowstone

    National Park ID,MT,WY

Wandering Garter Snake

Scientific name: Thamnophis elegans vagrans

Identification
  • Most common reptile in the park.
  • 6 to 30 inches in length.
  • Brown, brownish green, or gray with three light stripes: one running the length of the back and a stripe on each side.
Habitat
  • Usually found near water in all areas of the park.
  • Eats small rodents, fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, earthworms, slugs, snails, and leeches.
Behavior
  • May discharge musk from glands at the base of the tale when threatened.
  • Gives birth to as many as 20 live young in late summer or fall.

Did You Know?

Seventh Cavalry Ensignia Pin.

Prior to the establishment of the National Park Service, the U.S. Army protected Yellowstone between 1886 and 1918. Fort Yellowstone was established at Mammoth Hot Springs for that purpose.