Fish and Wildlife Service has stated that many locations that previously had healthy populations of garter snakes are now in decline due to land development pressure and the filling of wetlands in San Mateo County over the last sixty years.

In California, only rattlesnakes have venom that is dangerous to humans. Bullfrogs prey on both San Francisco garter snakes and California red-legged frogs.

Data are suitable for direct input to GIS software that can analyze its meaning in the scientific, engineering, or business context for which the data were created. Adults mainly eat small frogs such as the CA red-legged frog (143 KB PDF). [3] They have keeled dorsal scales of blue-green, bordered by stripes of black, red (sometimes orange), and blue-green. Many of the factors that led to the listing of the San Francisco garter snake in 1967 continue to affect the subspecies. Fish & Wildlife Service. Read a San Francisco Chronicle story about how one of our biologists took her 10 year-old daughter to try to find them in the wild. The preferred habitat of the San Francisco garter snake is a densely vegetated pond near an open hillside where it can sun, feed, and find cover in rodent burrows; however, markedly less suitable habitat can be successfully used. [7] Collection of these endangered animals by private citizens remains illegal. Fish & Wildlife Service, Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office, Species Account, SAN FRANCISCO GARTER SNAKE, International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, "San Francisco Gartersnake - Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=San_Francisco_garter_snake&oldid=982593588, Natural history of San Mateo County, California, Natural history of Santa Cruz County, California, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Birds such as hawks and herons.

San Francisco garter snakes forage extensively in aquatic habitats. Temporary ponds and other seasonal freshwater bodies are also used. San Francisco garter snakes are primarily active during the day. Large adults can reach a meter (3 feet) or more in length. Data are suitable for direct input to GIS software that can analyze its meaning in the scientific, engineering, or business context for which the data were created. The first things you notice are the turquoise blue body and bold stripes. On the coast, snakes hibernate during the winter, but further inland, if the weather is suitable, snakes may be active year-round. Newborn and juvenile San Francisco garter snakes depend heavily upon Pacific treefrogs (Pseudacris regilla ) as prey. of Parks and Recreation and other partners to provide habitat.

Read a San Francisco Chronicle storyabout how one of our biologists took her 10 year-old daughter to try to find them in the wild. Garter snakes are practically harmless to humans. The SF garter snake is a subspecies. On the other hand, the article places the three nearest populations of T. s. infernalis to T. s. tetrataenia in Sonoma County, Contra Costa County, and Santa Clara County into a separate group that exhibits an "elevated rate of molecular evolution". California red-legged frogs (143 KB PDF) (which are Federally listed as threatened).

The San Francisco garter snake, a subspecies of the common garter snake, is found in scattered wetland areas on the San Francisco Peninsula from approximately the northern boundary of San Mateo County south along the eastern and western bases of the Santa Cruz Mountains, at least to the Upper Crystal Springs Reservoir, and along the Pacific coast south to Año Nuevo Point, and thence to Waddell Creek in Santa Cruz County.

There is also a story about how we obtained 10 of these snakes that are at the San Francisco Zoo. They may hunt after dark on warm evenings. This means that they are in danger of dying out. Farther inland, they may be active year-round. SF garter snakes are active during the day. (These are listed as threatened!) Scientific names are in Latin or Greek. (3 feet). Adult San Francisco garter snakes can grow to a total length of 18 - 55 inches (46 – 140 cm). Access data and maps for the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office’s jurisdiction. This means that they are in danger of dying out. Young snakes depend on Pacific tree frogs. The San Francisco garter snake is often called the most beautiful snake in the United States. Biologists say they are diurnal. This garter snake prefers wet and marshy areas, and because of its elusive nature, it is difficult to see or capture. Currently, although the geographical distribution may remain the same, reliable information regarding specific locations and population status is not available. Endangered. Adult bullfrogs prey on smaller San Francisco garter snakes, which is a factor in their decline.

Garter snakes mate in the spring and are ovoviviparous producing eggs which hatch in the within the females body.

Endangered. Mostly its up to adults to save the SF garter snake. The stripe pattern that runs along the snake's "shoulders" is black, red-orange, black. Sacramento Fish & Wildlife OfficeServing the people, conserving the fish, wildlife, and plants of California. He further deduced that local environmental forces were more significant in shaping the color patterns shown by the common garter snake subspecies than shared common ancestry, and concluded all morphologically based subspecies in the western U.S. to be subject to revision. of Fish and Game, the National Park Service, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the CA Dept. This subspecies avoids brackish marsh areas because its preferred prey, the California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii), cannot survive in saline water. Reviews and commenting on State and Federal environmental documents, helping to minimize impacts on fish and wildlife species and their habitats.

Their head is barely wider than the neck, and is red.
CA garter snakes are active during the daytime. Biologists who study snakes, frogs, turtles, salamanders and other reptiles and Animals who are active at night are called nocturnal. ), bulrushes (Scirpus / Schoenoplectus spp. This result strongly suggests that the color traits that are diagnostic for T. s. tetrataenia are the result of local selection, rather than long-term isolation from the other subspecies of T. sirtalis in central California. Many locations that previously had healthy populations of garter snakes are now in decline. So there are quite a few SF garter snakes in private hands. They may hunt after dark on warm evenings. Adult snakes sometimes estivate (enter a dormant state) in rodent burrows during summer months when ponds dry. [8], Taxonomy and relation to other garter snakes, Federal Endangered Species Listing (Federal Register 32:4001; March 1967), U.S. San Francisco garter snakes are one of the few animals capable of ingesting the toxic California newt (Taricha torosa) without incurring sickness or death. Litters average 16 babies. However, in many areas where it still occurs, it is not rare, but is actually quite common and can be viewed with good success once its behavior is understood. These environmental elements include loss of habitat from agricultural, commercial and urban development, as well as collection by reptile fanciers and breeders. The stripes run along the snake's "shoulders. This may be a factor in their decline. Females give live birth from June through September, with litters averaging 16 babies. Read a San Francisco Chronicle story about how one of our biologists took her 10 year-old daughter to try to find them in the wild. The first things you notice are the burnt-orange head, the slender, turquoise-blue body and bold stripes. It is an essential prey species. Other snakes.

Access data and maps for the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office’s jurisdiction. In California, only rattlesnakes have venom that is dangerous to humans. Janzen [6] analyzed sequences in mitochondrial DNA to determine relationships within the subspecies of the common garter snake (T. sirtalis). Emergent and bankside vegetation such as cattails, bulrushes and spike rushes are preferred and used for cover. These frogs are the garter snake's favorite food. You can help by keeping your pets where they don't harm snakes. It may bite you or poop on you. We don't know how much is still inhabited. Working to reduce the effects of contaminants and other stressful impacts on fish wildlife and their habitats and to plan, implement and monitor restoration projects so that fish and wildlife resources can be recovered. They may also feed on juvenile bullfrogs, but they are unable to feed on the larger adults.

The photo at the top of this page show… The San Francisco garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) is federally listed as endangered. Captive snakes housed in an outside enclosure were observed foraging after dark on warm evenings. They use rodent burrows for this. Females give live birth from June through September. Do not try to pick it up. Garter snakes are the snakes usually found in the pockets of schoolchildren as well as in the schoolroom terrarium. So there are quite a few SF garter snakes in private hands. These historical threats to the species remain, but there are now additional threats, such as the documented decline of the California red-legged frog (an essential prey species) and the introduction of bullfrogs into San Francisco garter snake habitat. The subspecies occasionally uses floating algal or rush mats, when available. The snakes avoid brackish marsh areas because their preferred prey (California red-legged frogs) cannot survive in saline water. Visit the San Francisco Zoo. Do not try to pick it up. The snakes' preferred habitat is a densely vegetated pond near an open hillside where they can sun themselves, feed, and find cover in rodent burrows; however, considerably less ideal habitats can be successfully occupied.

Domestic cats and other small mammals. Herpetologist Sean Barry notes that the three subspecies divide up the food resources as follows: While the findings of the ICZN have given the San Francisco garter snake unique taxonomic standing for now, a molecular study challenges the subspecific status of this population. Densely vegetated ponds near open hillsides. Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia - San Francisco Garter Snake (Stebbins 1966, 1985, 2003, Stebbins & McGinnis 2012) Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia (Stebbins 1954) Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia - South San Francisco Peninsula Garter Snake: Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) Listed as endangered by the state and by the federal government. Much of the remaining suitable habitat is located on private property that has not been surveyed for the presence of the snake. See What You Can Do to Help Wildlife and Plants (201 KB PDF) for ideas about protecting the environment. ", Large adults can reach a meter in length. They are habitat for California red-legged frogs and Pacific tree frogs. If you are lucky enough to see a San Francisco garter snake, it will probably slither away quickly. Adult San Francisco garter snakes can grow to a total length of 18 - 55 inches (46 – 140 cm). Accordingly, the subspecies tetrataenia was reaffirmed for the San Francisco garter snake and the races concinnus and infernalis retain their historical definition. city line on south to the Crystal Springs Reservoir, and along the coast to the Año Nuevo State Nature Reserve. With some researchers claiming that there are only 1000-2000 individuals left, the ESA has declared it to be an endangered species. They are at the San Francisco Zoo. Decline of the CA red-legged frog.