The Food and Feeding Behavior of the Garter Snake in New York State

Thac food of the eastern garter snake, Tha,nophis s. sirtalis,` has be-n recorded by a numnber of investigators. Most accounts of the food of this species are extremnely general, little specific dietary information being included in the majority of reports. Surface (1906) has presented a good account of a large but unrecorded number of analyses. Fitch (1941) studied the food and reviews the literature of several western Thamn9phis. Pope (1947) states that approximately 100 stomachs of sirtalis containirg food have been studied and lists frogs, toads, salan-anaiders a-.d earthworms as the main itemis eaten, although he adds insects and other invertebrates, birds, mammals, snakes and carrion to tlhe dietary. A larsge part of the diet is composed of frogs, toads, fish, earthworms and'prc'hably insects (Conant, 1938). Lagler and Salyer (1945) examined 238 Michigan garter snakes co!