Eastern Ribbon Snake

Breeding:
Mates in spring. Live-bearing. 3-26 young, 7-9” (18-23 cm) long, are born July to
August, mature in 2-3 years.

Habitat:
Wet meadows, marshes, bogs, ponds, weedy lake shoreline, swaps, and shallow, meandering steams.

Range:
East of the Mississippi River: Michigan, s. Ontario, and s. Maine, south to the Florida
Keys and se. Louisiana. Isolated colonies inhabit ne. Wisconsin and c. Nova Scotia.
Semi aquatic; almost always encountered in low et places. Likes to bask in bushes. When startled it takes to water. Unlike water snakes, which dive, ribbon snakes, glide swiftly across the water’s surface. They feed on frogs, salamanders, and small fish.