Garter snakes are not hard to find. They live in many parts of the United States. You can find them in backyards and gardens. You can find them on farms. You can find them in cities, too. You can find them in parks.
They live in Canada, too. Some garter snakes can be found as far north as the Arctic Circle! There are some places they do not live. They do not live in very hot deserts. They can be found in Mexico and Central America, too.
Did you ever wonder why they are called garter snakes? Many years ago, men wore garters. These garters held up men's socks. Many garters had stripes on them. People thought that the striped snakes they sometimes saw looked like garters. They began to call them garter snakes. Because they often saw them in gardens, they are also called garden snakes.