Two-striped garter snake

The two-striped garter snake (Thamnophis hammondii) is a species of aquatic snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to western North America.

Taxonomy and etymology
The specific name hammondii is in honor of William A. Hammond, the U.S. Army surgeon who collected the first specimens.

Description
T. hammondii is a medium-sized snake, 18 - 30 in in total length (including tail), with a head barely wider than the neck. Two common color variations occur in the wild, a striped variant and a checkered variant. The striped variant has a yellowish lateral stripe on each side, and a fairly uniform dorsal coloring. The checkered variant lacks the lateral stripes and has two rows of small dark spots on each side.

Geographic range, habitat, and diet
The two-striped garter snake is found in western North America, ranging from central California to Baja California, Mexico. It is a highly aquatic species, and prefers habitat adjacent to permanent or semi-permanent bodies of water. This species feeds primarily on fishes and amphibians.

Reproduction
T. hammondii is ovoviviparous.