Do Garter Snakes Eat Chipmunks? A Detailed Look

Garter snakes and chipmunks often share the same habitats, so it’s natural to wonder if these common snakes prey on the small rodents. If you’ve spotted a garter snake in your yard and want to know if your furry friends could be on the menu, you’re not alone!

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Garter snakes do sometimes eat chipmunks, but it’s not a primary food source for them. Chipmunks make up a small percentage of their varied diet in the wild.

What Do Garter Snakes Eat?

Insects and Earthworms Are Staples

Garter snakes feast on a diverse menu of small prey. Their staple foods consist of insects and earthworms, which are abundant sources of nutrition (1). Worms and insects like grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, caterpillars, and grubs make up the largest portion of many garter snakes’ diets (2).

These snakes use their forked tongues to detect chemical cues that lead them to their next buggy meal.

Amphibians and Small Mammals on Occasion

Though insects and worms make up much of their diet, garter snakes do not restrict themselves to those food sources alone. They are impressive opportunistic predators that consume a variety of prey when available.

This includes amphibians like frogs, toads, and salamanders along with the occasional small rodent like young mice. One study found mammal remains present in around 15% of sampled garter snake guts (3).

Expert herpetologists speculate that chipmunks likely show up on the menu periodically for garter snakes that happen to encounter juveniles or neonates vulnerable enough for them to swallow whole.

Garter Snakes Hunting Chipmunks

Garter snakes are effective predators, but catching chipmunks can be tricky for them. Chipmunks have some advantages that allow them to avoid becoming a snake’s lunch.

Chipmunks Are Fast and Can Fight Back

Chipmunks are speedy little creatures. They can scurry quickly on the ground and climb trees and bushes to escape from predators. Their fast reflexes and agility make them challenging prey for garter snakes to catch.

Chipmunks also have sharp teeth and claws they can use to defend themselves if cornered by a snake. A chipmunk may bite or scratch a snake that gets too close. This can deter the snake from continuing its pursuit.

Garter snakes prefer easy meals that don’t fight back. While not impossible, catching a fast, feisty chipmunk is more difficult and risky than going after slower, more docile prey.

Baby Chipmunks Are More Vulnerable

Baby chipmunks that venture outside the burrow are easier targets for garter snakes. Their small size, undeveloped survival instincts, and inability to quickly escape make them susceptible to snake attacks.

During spring, when chipmunk young emerge, garter snakes may patrol burrow entrances hoping to ambush the babies as they first come out. However, the vigilant mother chipmunk will likely be close by to aggressively defend her offspring.

Once chipmunks mature over the summer, they become less vulnerable to snakes. But the two or so months when the babies are just learning survival skills can be the best opportunity for garter snakes to catch chipmunk prey.

Garter snakes are cunning hunters, but healthy adult chipmunks have physical abilities that make them challenging to catch. By staying alert and using their speed and agility, chipmunks can often evade these predators in their environment.

Preventing Garter Snakes From Eating Chipmunks

Remove Hiding Spots and Food Sources

One of the best ways to prevent garter snakes from preying on chipmunks is to eliminate places where the snakes can hide and ambush their prey. This includes clearing away wood piles, tall grass, vine-covered fences or stone walls, and dense shrubbery.

Without shelter and camouflage, garter snakes will be less likely to inhabit areas near chipmunk burrows and feeding areas.

It’s also important to remove food sources that attract garter snakes. They feed on small rodents like mice and voles, as well as amphibians like frogs and salamanders. Clearing away these alternate prey animals can help divert the snakes away from chipmunk territories.

For example, keeping pet food inside, sealing cracks and holes in foundations, storing wood piles far from chipmunk habitats, and preventing frog or salamander populations from becoming established near chipmunk burrows.

Use Physical Barriers Like Fencing

Installing physical barriers like fencing can also protect vulnerable chipmunk populations from garter snake predation. Bury galvanized hardware cloth fencing at least 6 inches underground, with at least 12 inches of fencing above ground around chipmunk burrows or feeding areas.

Be sure gates and access doors fit tightly when closed. Garter snakes are excellent climbers, so placing a decorative cap along the top perimeter may help thwart attempted climbed by snakes.

Sheet metal flashing or aluminum window screening formed into a cylinder about 8 to 12 inches in diameter also creates effective snake barriers when buried around foundations or chipmunk burrows. The slippery surface deters snake climbing.

Just be sure any fencing or similar barrier does not prevent the natural movements of non-threatening wildlife in the area.

Managing Garter Snakes Humanely

Don’t Kill or Harm Garter Snakes

Garter snakes are generally harmless and beneficial creatures that help control pest populations. Killing or harming them is illegal in most places and can lead to ecosystem imbalances. Here are some tips for managing garter snakes humanely:

• Never intentionally kill a garter snake. They are non-venomous and typically docile. Bites are rare and not medically significant for humans.
• Don’t use glue traps, rodenticides, or other cruel methods to eliminate snakes. These often lead to prolonged suffering.
• Seal any entry points around your home to prevent snakes from getting inside. This can be done with wire mesh, caulk, or foam insulation.
• Trim overgrown vegetation and debris piles around your home to reduce hiding spots attractive to snakes.
• Remove food sources like pet food bowls, fallen bird seed, or rodent habitats to discourage snake presence.

Killing garter snakes or disturbing their dens can backfire and cause more snakes to move into the area. They are vitally important predators that keep nuisance insects, slugs, rodents, and other vermin under control. Let these harmless friends be if encountered in your yard.

Relocate Carefully If Necessary

While killing garter snakes is never recommended, you may need to relocate any that get inside your home. Here are some safe handling tips:

• Use long gloves, a net, or snake hook to safely pick up the snake. Avoid touching it with bare hands.
• Gently pick up the snake just behind its head to control its movement. Support its body to avoid injury.
• Place the snake into a cloth bag, tied pillowcase, or secure bucket for transport.
• Release the snake as close as possible to the original capture site, such as in a neighboring backyard.
• Never relocate snakes to a new region or habitat. This can disrupt local ecosystems and survival rates.

Some key facts to remember when relocating garter snakes:

With proper exclusion and gentle relocation when needed, garter snakes can be managed humanely. Let’s coexist with these harmless neighbors and appreciate the free pest control services they offer!

Coexisting With Garter Snakes and Chipmunks

Both Serve a Role in the Ecosystem

Garter snakes and chipmunks play important roles in maintaining balance in their shared ecosystems. While they may come into conflict at times, each species fills a niche that supports broader biodiversity.

As predators, garter snakes help control populations of small animals like frogs, worms, and yes, even young chipmunks. Without snakes, fast-breeding prey species could grow out of control. At the same time, chipmunks disperse seeds and nuts, sculpting plant communities.

Their burrowing aerates soils and creates habitat for other creatures. A 2021 study found that chipmunks increase plant diversity in forests by caching nuts and seeds in a scattered pattern.

While losing some young to snakes may seem harmful to chipmunks, research shows garter snake predation is typically not enough to destabilize chipmunk populations. One 1980 study in Kansas found that garter snakes caused less than 2% of chipmunk mortalities.

Take Precautions Without Harming Snakes

While conflicts between garter snakes and pets or people are rare, some precautions can promote safe coexistence:

• Supervise small pets like hamsters when outdoors. Don’t leave them unattended.
• Install snake-deterrent fencing around chicken coops or other vulnerable structures.
• Seal cracks and holes in foundations that could allow snake entry.
• Clear brush and debris piles around homes to reduce snake habitat.
• Use humane snake repellents like spices, predator urine, or vibration devices.

If a snake does enter a home, calmly guide it out with a broom instead of killing it. Snakes are protected species in most states.

Killing snakes is usually unnecessary and can make problems worse by allowing prey species to overpopulate. A better approach is adopting sensible precautions while also appreciating the vital role snakes play in every ecosystem.

Conclusion

Garter snakes and chipmunks naturally share habitats across North America. While garter snakes do occasionally prey on these small rodents, especially babies, chipmunks are not a primary food source. With some smart landscaping choices and preventive measures, you can protect backyard chipmunks while still appreciating the role garter snakes play in balancing the local ecosystem.