Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Taxa
Frequent, Common
Name(s)
Reports
(Cases)
Reported Effects {Comments}
Reference
Evidence Rating
a
Thamnophis elegans vagrans
(Plate
4.52D) Wandering garter snake;
culebra de agua nomada
2 (2)
Bs, E, Ecc, L, P {Limited, but well-documented
case reports suggest that occasional bites may
cause mild-moderate transient local effects. Most
bites are insignificant as noted with bites by other
Thamnophis
spp. See later and Section 4.2}
Vest (1981a); Gomez et al.
(1994)
C
Thamnophis marcianus
Marcy's
garter snake; sochuate; others
2 (3)
BL (slight), E, L, P {Two bites by two different
specimens caused miniscule puncture wounds,
brief, scant BL, and insignificant pain (SAW,
personal observations); medically insignificant}
Warrell (2004); this study
C/D
Thamnophis proximus
Western
ribbon snake; culebra acuatica
1
E, P {Medically insignificant}
Warrell (2004)
C/D
Thamnophis sirtalis similis
(Plate
4.53) Blue-striped garter snake
1
BL, E, Ecc, L, Ly, PA {Compare with
T. e.
vagrans
and
T. s. sirtalis
. The body of available
information indicate that
Thamnophis
spp.
generally have no medical importance}
Nichols (1986)
C/D
Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
Common
garter snake; culebra de agua nomada
comun; others depending on
T. sirtalis
sub-species (approximately 13) and
locale (Plate 4.54A, D-J; note the
subtle pattern/color variability of this
common species; Plate 4.55A and B
illustrate
T. radix
)
1 Note: The
authors have
observed or
experienced
many
insignificant
bites from this
species, but
these have not
been formally
documented
E, Ecc, L, Ly {Weed (1993) reported that 47
T.
sirtalis
bites reviewed in the northeastern USA
were insignificant. Ernst and Barbour (1989)
described development of hypersensitivity to
T.
sirtalis
saliva as contact resulted in a “burning
rash.” A case of mild edema of the third
phalanges and associated metacarpal region of
the R hand was ascribed to a protracted bite
from a snake tentatively identified as a
T. sirtalis
sirtalis
(Lazkowski-Jones, 2009). As the identity
of the specimen was not verified, this case is not
included in the tally here}
Hayes and Hayes (1985)
C/D
