Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas

Image © Suzanne L. Collins, CNAH.
An adult Checkered Gartersnake from Sumner County, Kansas. Image © Larry L. Miller.
REPTILIA (Reptiles) SQUAMATA (PART) (Snakes) NATRICIDAE (Harmless Egg-Retaining Snakes)

Checkered Gartersnake
Thamnophis marcianus (Baird & Girard 1853)
thăm-nō-fĭs — măr-sē-ā-nŭs

Conservation Status:
State: Kansas Threatened Species
Federal: None
NatureServe State: S2 - Imperiled
NatureServe National: N5 - Secure
NatureServe Global: G5 - Secure
CITES: None
Diagnosis:
 HARMLESS. The Checkered Gartersnake is characterized by keeled scales, a single anal scale, a narrow stripe on each side of the body located on the second and third scale rows (counting from the belly up), and a large, yellow or cream crescent-shaped mark on each side of the head behind the angle of the jaws. In addition to the narrow yellowish stripe on each side of the body, a similarly colored stripe runs down the middle of the back. The dorsal stripe is often encroached upon by the adjacent black spots giving it a jagged appearance (but not always). All three stripes start at the head and run down the body onto the tail. A pattern of two rows of alternating dark rectangles between the dorsal and lateral stripes, forming a checkerboard effect. The labials have black bars of varying thickness between them. A transverse white to cream crescent-shaped blotch, bordered by black, behind each corner of the mouth. There is a pair of light spots on top of the head along the suture of the parietal scales. The belly is yellowish with no pattern. Dark pigment on the posterior upper labials (lip scales) that matches the color of the temporals (large scales behind the postoculars [which border the eye]). Adult males have longer tails than females. Females grow larger than males. The young look like the adults.
Adults grow 45.7-61.0 cm (18-24 inches) in total length. The largest specimen from Kansas is a female (KU 158493) from Comanche County with a total length of 846 cm (33¼ inches) collected by Stanley Roth, William Bradley, and Ray E. Ashton on 10 May 1975. The maximum length throughout the range is 108.6 cm (42¾ inches) (Boundy, 1995).
Distribution:
 The Checkered Gartersnake is found along the southern Kansas border west of the Chikaskia River.
Cornelius Rogers captured a specimen at the edge of an irrigation ditch in a vegetable garden at Lake City, Barber County, Kansas, on June 25, 1934 (Burt, 1934).
Smith (1946) considered KU 5434 (from Meade County) to be a natural hybrid of T. marcianus and T. radix. Herein, KU 5434, is used in the account of T. marcianus.
Fleharty and Ittner (1967) reported two specimens FHSM 1560 ('1 mi. N and 1 mi. E of Liebenthal, Ellis Co., on 4 May 1964 along the Smoky Hill River') and FHSM 3697 ('... taken from a moist abandoned cistern, 14 mi. S of Rush Center, Rush Co., on 7 May 1966'). These have been re-identified as Thamnophis radix (Taggart 2000). Ellis and Rush (and Meade) counties have a relatively high proportion of achromatic specimens, which more resemble T. marcianus at first glance.
Mozley (1877) listed this species from Douglas County, Kansas, and was likely the basis by which Cragin (1880) included it in his list of Kansas herpetofauna. Branson (1903) examined the material listed by Mozley and could find no T. marcianus, and since no other specimens were known, he excluded them from his list of Kansas snakes. Thamnophis marcianus is not found within 150 miles of Douglas County and suitable habitat does not exist, however, T. radix, T. sirtalis, and T. proximus all occur there.
(,   Museum Voucher) (,   Observation) (,   Literature Record) (,   iNat Record), (  Fossil)
Open icons are questionable records; Click on a marker to view details.
Full range depicted by light shaded red area. Export Google Earth (.kml)
  • Occurrence Summary:  
  • 24
    Records 
  • 22
    Museum Vouchers 
  • 2
    Other Observations 
Some county occurrences indicated below may be too imprecise to map above.
 County Breakdown: County Name (# occurrences):
 Barber (8); Comanche (5); Harper (1); Meade (1); Morton (3); Seward (1); Sumner (3); Unknown (2);

Fossil History:
 Not known from Kansas.
Natural History:
 Taylor (1929) and Tihen (1937) made the earliest habitat observations on the Checkered Gartersnake in Kansas. Their specimens were collected around lakes or near springs in Meade and Morton counties. Miller (1978) reported two specimens of the Checkered Gartersnake from Sumner County which were found in treeless areas near water. They were collected on 10 May and 11 September. He also recorded a specimen taken on 10 May in Comanche County and found another example on 23 September in Barber County following heavy rains. Miller (1983) discovered two Checkered Gartersnakes in Barber County on 29 May and 3 June; both were crossing gravel roads in the late afternoon and evening.
Miller (1987) reported two more of these snakes in Barber County; the first was found active on 18 May on the shale bank of a northwest-facing slope, and the second was taken in the twilight zone of a gypsum cave on 17 August. This snake is active from April to October. It forages for food by day around bodies of water but may become nocturnal during extremely hot weather. During winter, it retreats into small mammal burrows or deep in crevices on rocky hillsides to avoid cold temperatures.
Mating in this species occurs during the spring after emergence from winter inactivity. Courtship is not known in Kansas. Each female may produce from six to eighteen young during June, July, or August.
The Checkered Gartersnake feeds on earthworms, frogs, toads, fishes, and possibly small rodents. Predators of this species include large birds, mammals, and other snakes (Collins, 1993)
Occurrence Activity:
 Number of Unique Obervations (=days): 18; Range: 02 Jan to 21 Oct
Remarks:
 In Kansas, the Checkered Gartersnake is known only from a few widely spaced (yet steadily reported) records along the Oklahoma border from Sumner County west to Morton County. There is no evidence that is declining. Kansas is the extreme northern periphery of its range. One of the principal factors contributing to our dearth of knowledge is that few herpetologists live in the region where they occur.
Miller (1987, 2010) summarized our knowledge of this species in Kansas, and little information has been obtained since then. He was especially successful in discovering this species in southwest Barber and southwest Sumner counties.
Ball (1992) reported observing 16 specimens in Morton County during the period 1985-1991. He considered them to be locally abundant; however, he collected no specimens and no specific localities were mentioned.
The most recent verified records in the state are three DORs; one each in Morton and Barber counties (Taggart 2010) and one in Comanche County; discovered by Josh Mead in 2016.
Platt et al. (1974) recommended discontinuing use of persistent pesticides in areas where the Checkered Gartersnake is known to occur. Listed as a Kansas Threatened species in 1987. No recovery plan has been completed for this species.
As defined by the Kansas Administrative Regulations, critical habitats include those areas documented as currently supporting self-sustaining population(s) of any threatened or endangered species of wildlife as well as those areas determined by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism to be essential for the conservation of any threatened or endangered species of wildlife.
The following counties contain designated critical habitat for the Checkered Gartersnake in Kansas: Barber, Comanche, Harper, and Sumner.
Based on a captive specimen, Snider and Bowler (1992) reported a maximum longevity for this snake of seven years, six months, and 26 days.
Bibliography:
1877 Mozley, Annie E. List of Kansas snakes in the museum of the Kansas State University. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 6():34-35
First attempt to compile a complete list of snakes reported from Kansas. Most specimens were from Douglas and Wallace counties.
Contains obvious identification/locality errors Thamnophis marcianus (Douglas County) and Heterodon simus (Wallace County).
Neroida holbrookii = Nerodia rhombifer.
Use of the name 'Kansas State University' actually refers to The University of Kansas where Annie E. (Mozley)Boddington received her BS @ KU in 1878 (see also Gloyd 1928).
1880 Cragin, Francis W. A preliminary catalogue of Kansas reptiles and batrachians Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 7():112-123
Also listed the Scarlet Snake (Cemophora coccinea) [=Ophibolus doliatus var. coccineus] and Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber) [=Spelerpes ruber] from Kansas.
1883 Garman, Samuel. The reptiles and batrachians of North America.  Kentucky Geological Survey. Yeoman Press., Frankfort, Kentucky. 185pp.
1883 Garman, Samuel. The reptiles and batrachians of North America. Memiors of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University 8(3):xxxi + 1-185
1884 Garman, Samuel. The North American reptiles and batrachians. Bulletin of the Essex Institute 16():1-46
1903 Branson, Edwin B. Snakes of Kansas Thesis. University of Kansas, Lawrence. 41pp.
Describes all snake species reported from Kansas, considering doubtful those species that the author has not encountered himself. This list contains twenty-nine valid species. Collections examined included State University (KU), State House, Washburn College (WU), Ottawa University, State Normal School (ESU), State Agricultural College (KSU), and several high schools in Kansas. Examined the material available to Mozley (1878) and determined that of the thirty-three species listed, only twenty-three species were valid currently. And that Cragin's (1880) list of thirty-two species included eight specimens on the authority of Mozley that this author could not verify in any collection.
1904 Branson, Edwin B. Snakes of Kansas. University of Kansas Science Bulletin 2(13):353-430
1908 Ruthven, Alexander G. Variations and genetic relationships of the garter-snakes. Bulletin of the United States National Museum (61):1-201
1929 Taylor, Edward H. A revised checklist of the snakes of Kansas. University of Kansas Science Bulletin 19(5):53-62
1929 Taylor, Edward H. List of reptiles and batrachians of Morton County, Kansas, reporting species new to the state fauna. University of Kansas Science Bulletin 19(6):63-65
Annotated listing of 25 species discovered in southwest Morton County just prior to the Dust Bowl that wreaked havoc on the region and the subsequent creation of the Cimarron National Grassland. Of special note are Heterodon platirhinos, Thamnophis marcianus, and Anaxyrus debilis (all of which have not been found in the area since).
1935 Knight, Howard. A Key to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Kansas. Thesis. Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas. 125pp.
1935 Burt, Charles E. Further records of the ecology and distribution of amphibians and reptiles in the middle west. American Midland Naturalist 16(3):311-366
1936 Brumwell, Malcolm J. Distributional records of the reptilia and amphibians of Kansas. Privately printed, . 22pp.
County dot maps of the Kansas herpetofauna. This work has been attributed to have been written around 1933, but that may be in error. 
Hypsiglena jani was not known from Kansas until Claude W. Hibbard collected three specimens on the Stevenson Ranch in north-central Clark County (above Clark State Lake) during June 1936 (Hibbard, 1937). Brumwell plotted this locality, which leads me to believe that the 1936 would have been the earliest date this manuscript could have been written.
1937 Pope, Clifford H. Snakes Alive and How they Live. Viking Press, New York. pp.
1937 Tihen, Joseph A. Additional distributional records of amphibians and reptiles in Kansas counties Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 40():401-409
1939 Stejneger, Leonhard and Thomas Barbour. A Checklist of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 4th Edition. Harvard University Press, Cambridge,Massachusetts. pp.
1939 Tihen, Joseph A. and James M. Sprague. Amphibians, reptiles, and mammals of the Meade County State Park Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 42():499-512
1940 Perkins, C. B. A key to the snakes of the United States. Bulletin of the Zoological Society of San Diego (16):1-63
1941 Schmidt, Karl Peterson and D. D. Davis. Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. C.P. Putnam and Sons, New York. 365pp.
1943 Davenport, J. W. Field Book of the Snakes of Bexar County, Texas and Vicinity. Witte Memorial Museum, San Antonio, Texas. pp.
1943 Stejneger, Leonhard and Thomas Barbour. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 5th Editon. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 93(1):1-260
1944 Marr, John C. Notes on amphibians and reptiles from the central United States. American Midland Naturalist 32(2):478-490
1946 Smith, Hobart M. Hybridization between two species of garter snakes University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History 1(4):97-100
Discussion of Thamnophis marcianus and Thamnophis radix in southwest Kansas, and of a putative hybrid (KU 5434).
1949 Mittleman, M. Budd. Geographic variation in Marcy's Garter Snake, Thamnophis marcianus (Baird and Girard). Bulletin of the Chicago Academy of Sciences 8(10):235-249
1950 Smith, Hobart M. Handbook of Amphibians and Reptiles of Kansas. University of Kansas, Museum of Natural History, Miscellaneous Publication (2):336
The first modern herpetology of Kansas. Includes locality dot maps within individual species accounts. Reports 96 species from Kansas (table and text say 97 on p. 10) and 13 "probable but unverified" species and subspecies.
1952 Wright, A. H., and A. A. Wright. List of the snakes of the United States and Canada by states and provinces. American Midland Naturalist 48(3):574-603
1953 Schmidt, Karl P. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.
Schmidt's first edition of his standardized checklist to North American amphibians and reptiles. Includes several specific references to Kansas in the range descriptions.
1954 Stebbins, Robert C. Amphibians and Reptiles of Western North America. McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc, New York. pp.
1956 Smith, Hobart M. Handbook of Amphibians and Reptiles of Kansas. Second edition. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Miscellaneous Publication (9):1-356
Hobart M. Smith's updated second edition of his first (1950) modern herpetology of Kansas. Includes locality dot maps within individual species accounts. Reports 96 species from Kansas (table says 97 on p. 10; text says 98 on p. 10) and 11 "probable but unverified" species and subspecies. The second edition has updated taxonomy, added Plestiodon laticeps, and removed Eurycea tynerensis.
1957 Wright, A. H. and A. A. Wright. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. 2 Volumes. Comstock Publishing Company, Ithaca, New York. pp.
1958 Conant, Roger. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern North America. Houghton Mifflin Co, Boston. pp.
1959 Collins, H. H. Complete Field Guide to American Wildlife. Harper and Brothers, New York. pp.
1962 Gish, Charles D. The Herpetofauna of Ellis County, Kansas. Thesis. Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas. 34pp.
1966 Stebbins, Robert C. Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 1st ed. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. pp.
1967 Fleharty, Eugene D. and Dwight R. Ittner. Additional locality records for some Kansas herptiles. Southwestern Naturalist 12(2):199-200
1970 Cochran, Doris M. and Colman J. Goin. The New Field Book of Reptiles and Amphibians. Putnam's Sons, New York. pp.
1970 Webb, Robert G. Reptiles of Oklahoma. Stovall Museum, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. 370pp.
1971 Leviton, Alan E. Reptiles and Amphibians of North America. Doubleday, New York. pp.
1973 Platt, Dwight R., Frank B. Cross, Donald Distler, O. S. Fent, E. Raymond Hall, Max Terman, Jack Walstrom, and John Zimmerman. Rare, endangered and extirpated species in Kansas II. Amphibians and reptiles. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 76(3):185-192
1974 Shaw, C. E., and S. Campbell. Snakes of the American West. A. A. Knopf, New York. pp.
1974 Collins, Joseph T. Amphibians and Reptiles in Kansas University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Public Education Series (1):283 pp
Joseph T. Collins first Kansas herpetology. <Need to get species total and principal differences with previous 'version' (= Smith 1956)>
1974 Johnson, Tom R. Rare and endangered herpetofauna of Kansas. St. Louis Herpetological Society Newsletter 1(10):4-5
1974 Platt, Dwight R., Joseph T. Collins, and Ray E. Ashton, Jr. Rare, endangered and extirpated species in Kansas. II. Amphibians and reptiles. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 76(3):185-192
The initial initiative to determine population and conservation status of Kansas' amphibians and reptiles based on our understanding at the time. A lot has changed regarding our increased knowledge on all the listed species.
1975 Conant, Roger. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Co, Boston. pp.
1976 Rundquist, Eric M. Field checklist (of) amphibians and reptiles of Kansas. Kansas Herpetological Society, Lawrence. pp.
1976 Ashton, Ray E., Jr., Stephen R. Edwards, and George R. Pisani. Endangered and threatened amphibians and reptiles in the United States. Herpetological Circulars (5):65
1976 Lardie, Richard L. Distributional notes on the checkered garter snake and other Thamnophis in north-central Oklahoma. Bulletin of the Oklahoma Herpetological Society 1(4):56-57
1977 Perry, Janice. Kansas herps needed. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (18):2-3
List of Kansas amphibians and reptiles desired for the SSAR/HL meeting to be held 7-13 August 1977.
1978 Miller, Larry L. The status of the Checkered Garter Snake in Kansas. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (27):6-8
1978 Patton, L. G. Checkered Garter Snakes found. Bulletin of the Oklahoma Herpetological Society 3(3):53
1978 Collins, Joseph T. and Janalee P. Caldwell. New records of fishes, amphibians, and reptiles in Kansas for 1977. Technical Publication of the State Biological Survery of Kansas 6():70-88
1979 Gray, Peter and Eddie Stegall. A field trip to the Red Hills. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (29):6-8
1980 Clarke, Robert F. Snakes in Kansas. Kansas School Naturalist 26(3):1-15
1981 Lardie, Richard L. Some new and important county records for Oklahoma. Bulletin of the Oklahoma Herpetological Society 6(2):44-45
1982 Collins, Joseph T. Amphibians and Reptiles in Kansas. 2nd edition. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Public Education Series (8):
Joseph T. Collins second Kansas herpetology. <Need to get species total and principal differences with previous 'version' (= Collins 1974)>
1982 Guarisco, Hank, Peter Gray, and Joseph T. Collins. Focus of 1982 KHS field trips. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (47):5-6
1983 Ballinger, Royce E. and John D. Lynch. How to Know the Amphibians and Reptiles. Wm. C. Brown,, Dubuque, Iowa. pp.
1983 Miller, Larry L. The status of the Red-spotted Toad in Barber County, Kansas. Kansas Fish and Game Commission, Pratt. 15pp.
1984 Secor, Stephen M. and Charles C. Carpenter. Distribution maps of Oklahoma reptiles. Oklahoma Herpetological Society Special Publication (3):1-57
1984 Ford, Neil B., and Carolyn W. Schofield. Species specificity of sex pheromone trails in the Plains Garter Snake, Thamnophis radix. Herpetologica 40(1):51-55
1985 Collins, Joseph T. (Editor) Natural Kansas. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence. pp.
1985 Stebbins, Robert C. Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. pp.
1986 Layher, William G., Ken L. Brunson, J.Schaefer, Marvin D. Schwilling, and R. D. Wood. Summary of nongame task force actions relative to developing three species lists: Species in Need of Conservation, Threatened, and Endangered. Kansas Fish and Game Commission, Pratt. 27pp.
1987 Miller, Larry L. An investigation of four rare snakes in south-central Kansas. Final Report. Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission, Pratt. 24pp.
1988 Schwilling, Marvin. and C. Nilon. Kansas nongame and endangered wildlife: Annual report. Federal Aid Project, Number FW9P6. i + 35pp.
1988 Busby, William H. The Kansas Natural Heritage Program: Taking stock of Kansas' natural heritage. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (71):9-12
1989 Simmons, John E. Endangered and threatened in Kansas. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (75):4-5
1990 Collins, Joseph T. Maximum size records for Kansas amphibians and reptiles. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (81):13-17
1991 Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, Bob Gress, and Gerald Wiens. Kansas Wildlife. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence. pp.
1991 Conant, Roger and Joseph T. Collins. Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. 3rd ed. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. pp.
1991 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. Reptiles and Amphibians of the Cimarron National Grasslands, Morton County, Kansas. U. S. Forest Service, Elkhart, Kansas. 60pp.
1992 Sweeney, R. Garter Snakes: Their Natural History and Care in Captivity. Blandford, London. pp.
1992 Ball, Robert L. High plains serpents: Results of a long-term study in Texas County, Oklahoma and Morton County, Kansas Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (88):16-17
1993 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. Amphibians and Reptiles in Kansas. Third Edition. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Lawrence. 397pp.
Joseph T. Collins third Kansas herpetology. <Need to get species total and principal differences with previous 'version' (= Collins 1982)>
1993 Fitch, Henry S. Relative abundance of snakes in Kansas. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 96(3/4):213-224
1994 Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, and Bob Gress. Kansas Wetlands: A Wildlife Treasury. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence. pp.
1994 Mara, W. P. Garter and Ribbon Snakes. TFH Publications, Inc, Neptune City, New Jersey. pp.
1995 Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, Jerry Horak, Daniel Mulhern, William H. Busby, Craig C. Freeman, and G. Wallace. An Illustrated Guide to Endangered or Threatened Species in Kansas. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence. pp.
1995 Levell, J.P. A Field Guide to Reptiles and the Law. Serpent's Tale, Excelsior, Minnesota. pp.
1995 Rossi, J. W., and R. Rossi. Snakes of the United States and Canada: Keeping Them Healthy in Captivity. Vol. 2, Western Area. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida. pp.
1996 Rossman, Douglas A., Neil B. Ford, and Ricahrd A. Seigel. The Garter Snakes: Evolution and Ecology. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. pp.
1996 Scott, C. Snake Lovers Lifelist and Journal. University of Texas Press, Austin. pp.
1996 Rakestraw, J. Spring herp counts: A Kansas tradition. Reptile & Amphibian Magazine (March-April):75-80
1997 Levell, J.P. A Field Guide to Reptiles and the Law. 2nd Revised ed. Serpent's Tale, Lanesboro, Minnesota. pp.
1998 Conant, Roger and Joseph T. Collins. Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. 3rd ed, expanded. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. pp.
1998 Powell, Robert, Joseph T Collins, and Errol D Hooper Jr. A Key to Amphibians & Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada. Univ Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 131pp.
1999 Tennant, Alan and Richard D. Bartlett. Snakes of North America: Eastern and Central Regions. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. pp.
2000 Bartlett, Richard D. and Alan Tennant. Snakes of North America: Western Region. . Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. pp.
2000 Taggart, Travis W. Biogeographic analysis of the reptiles (Squamata) in Ellis County, Kansas. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (121):7-16
2000 Murphy, John C. and Russell M. Curry. A case of parthenogenesis in the Plains Garter Snake, Thamnophis radix. Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society 35(2):17-19
2002 Kingsbury, Bruce and Joanna Gibson. Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles of the Midwest. Publication of Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Address not given. 152pp.
2003 Ernst, Carl H. and E. M. Ernst. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D. C. pp.
2003 Stebbins, Robert C. Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd ed . Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. pp.
2004 Bryant, Tiffany D. The effects of habitat complexity on the foraging ability of the Checkered Garter Snake, Thamnophis marcianus marcianus, (Baird and Girard). Thesis. University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas. 41pp.
2005 Miller, Ed J. and Bob Gress. A Pocket Guide to Kansas Threatened and Endangered Species. Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, Kansas. pp.
2006 Bartlett, Richard D. and Patricia P. Bartlett. Guide and Reference to the Snakes of Eastern and Central North America (North of Mexico). University Press of Florida, Gainesville. pp.
2006 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. A Pocket Guide to Kansas Snakes. 1st ed. Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, Kansas. pp.
2006 Taggart, Travis W. Distribution and status of Kansas herpetofauna in need of information. State Wildlife Grant T7. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Pratt. vii + 106pp.
2009 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. A Pocket Guide to Kansas Snakes. 2nd ed. Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, Kansas. pp.
2010 Miller, Larry L. Investigation of the Checkered Garter Snake in Kansas with notes on other Amphibians, Reptiles, and Turtles encountered. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Pratt, Kansas. 31pp.
2010 Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, and Travis W. Taggart. Amphibians, Reptiles, and Turtles of Kansas Eagle Mountain Publishing., Provo, Utah. 400pp.
Joseph T. Collins fourth Kansas herpetology. <Need to get species total and principal differences with previous 'version' (= Collins 1993)>
2010 Taggart, Travis W. Additional records of the Checkered Garter Snake in Kansas.  Journal of Kansas Herpetology (35):10
2011 Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, and Travis W. Taggart. Amphibians, Reptiles, and Turtles of the Cimarron National Grassland, Kansas. Second (Revised) Edition. U. S. Forest Service, . pp.
2012 Kingsbury, Bruce A. and J. Gibson (Editor) Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles of the Midwest, 2nd edition. Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, . 140pp.
2012 Rohweder, Megan R. Spatial conservation prioritization of Kansas for terrestrial vertebrates. Thesis. Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas. 151pp.
2012 Powell, Robert, Joseph T Collins, and Errol D Hooper Jr. Key to the Herpetofauna of the Continental United States and Canada: Second Edition, Revised and Updated. Univ Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 152pp.
2014 Taggart, Travis W. Recent scientific and standard English name changes effecting the Kansas herpetofauna. Collinsorum 3(2-4):9-10
2015 Rohweder, Megan R. Kansas Wildlife Action Plan. Ecological Services Section, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism in cooperation with the Kansas Biological Survey. 176pp.
2016 Powell, Robert, Roger Conant, and Joseph T. Collins. Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. 494pp.
2017 Crother, Brian I. (editor) Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding. Eighth edition. Herpetological Circulars (43):1-102
2019 Powell, Robert, Joseph T Collins, and Errol D Hooper Jr. Key to the Herpetofauna of the Continental United States and Canada. Third Edition. Univ Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 192pp.
2019 Myers, Edward A., Alexander T. Xue, Marcelo Gehara, Christian Cox, Alison R. Davis Rabosky, Julio Lemos‐Espinal, Juan E. Martínez‐Gómez, and Frank T. Burbrink. Environmental heterogeneity and not vicariant biogeographic barriers generate community‐wide population structure in desert‐adapted snakes. Molecular Ecology 28(20):4535-4548
2020 Riedle, J. Daren. Revisiting Kansas Herpetological Society field trip and Herp Count data: Distributional patterns and trend data of Kansas amphibians and reptiles. Collinsorum 9(1):7-16
2022 Hallas, Joshua M., Thomas L. Parchman, and Chris R. Feldman. Phylogenomic analyses resolve relationships among garter snakes (Thamnophis: Natricinae: Colubridae) and elucidate biogeographic history and morphological evolution. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 167(2022):107374
Utilized a genome-wide high-throughput sequencing data and near-complete taxon sampling to estimate a robust phylogeny for Thamnophis.
2023 Nuñez, Leroy P., Levi N Gray, David Weisrock, and Frank T Burbrink. The phylogenomic and biogeographic history of the Gartersnakes, Watersnakes, and Allies (Natricidae: Thamnophiini). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 186(2023):107844
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Travis W. Taggart © 1999-2024 — w/ Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University