Reservoirbergarter

Reservoirbergarter is a fictional species of semi-aquatic snake-like reptile described in speculative biology. It is imagined to inhabit freshwater reservoirs and slow-moving lakes in temperate regions. The name combines reservoir, its preferred habitat, with garter, alluding to the resemblance to garter snakes in overall form.

In the fictional taxonomy used by proponents, the Reservoirbergarter is placed in the order Squamata and the family Colubridae, with the genus and species designation Reservoirbergarter fictilis in some drafts. This placement is informal and varies across sources, as the creature exists only in speculative literature.

Reservoirbergarter is slender, usually reaching up to about 0.9 meters in length. Dorsal coloration ranges from olive to brown with a faint lateral stripe. Scales are smooth or weakly keeled, and the tail is slightly compressed, aiding maneuverability underwater. Limbs are reduced, and the feet are webbed, enhancing swimming ability.

It favors lightly vegetated littoral zones in reservoirs, where submerged logs and emergent plants provide cover. Its diet is primarily small fish, tadpoles, and large aquatic invertebrates. It hunts by a combination of ambush and short pursuit dives, can stay submerged for several minutes, and uses shallow water to escape terrestrial predators.

In the fictional scenario, reservoir garters are ovoviviparous, giving birth to a litter of 6–14 young after a gestation period of several months.

As a fictional organism, it has no real conservation status; the concept is used mainly in theoretical discussions of freshwater ecosystem dynamics.