Missouri Animals Eastern plains garter snake   (Thamnophis radix radix) Chordate: Vertebrate: Reptile: Serpentia: Colubridae Native North American snake Habitat: meadows, prairies, near water. Diet: earthworms, frogs, toads, salamanders, minnows, small rodents.. ID Features: dark colored snake with lengthwise yellow stripes, long and slender. Natural History: The eastern plains garter snake is a small slender snake that grows to just over 2 feet..

The graphics and text are from: The Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri by Tom R. Johnson, Missouri Department of Conservation, ©1992