Garter snake vs. ribbon snake

[bulrush]

Just how do I tell the difference between a garter and ribbon snake? I hear they look very similar. Will the ribbon snake musk me when caught?

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

ribbons are more stripey, once you see two next to each other its pretty obvious, and yes ribbons do tend to be more scared
this is a ribbon:

so if you compare that picture with one of your easterns you can see their differences

Originally Posted by bulrush

Just how do I tell the difference between a garter and ribbon snake? I hear they look very similar. Will the ribbon snake musk me when caught?

[bulrush]

So ribbons tend to have less color or pattern variation than easterns?

Because easterns are "stripey" too. But easterns can also be checkered or mottled.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

here's how I tell the two apart:

-ribbons are much more narrow than garter snakes, they appear to be very thin and long, while garters are usually "chubby"
-ribbons are "stripey"... they have stripes and besides that, not much else in the way of a pattern.
-ribbons have a thin head, it doesn't get as wide as garters' heads do.
- if you look at the row of lip scales on a garter snakes top lip, you will notice that there are (usually) black markings in between each upper labial scale. Ribbons don't have that, they have cleanly colored labial scales.

I know there's more out there, but that's just what I go by. After a while of seeing garters and ribbons all the time, you tend to be able to tell them apart on first sight, without even realizing you are doing it.

[Elliot]

Ribbons also have a white kind of rectangle in front of their eye. And yes they can musk, I guess it depends on the snake's personality though.

Here's picture of a ribbon snake's head

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

ah ha! i knew I was forgetting something.. only the msot obvious thing about a ribbon.... lol!

[bulrush]

So a white rectangle in front of the eye means "it's definitely a ribbon snake" or "it's probably a ribbon snake"?

Thanks for all your tips BTW. I went back through the garter pics on this site and noticed the black lines on the edges of the "lip scales" on the side of the garter snake's face.

[Stefan-A]

Very, very likely a ribbon snake. Some racer has it and I've seen radix with it, but the overall appearance of the snake together with that white rectangle makes it very difficult to mistake those two.

[KITKAT]

Here is an absolutely excellent page on telling the difference between a garter and a ribbon, complete with photos.

Telling Garter Snakes and Ribbon Snakes Apart - gartersnake.info

[bulrush]

Excellent article! Thank you.