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Northwest Wildlife Online
by John M. Regan
Order Squamata, Sub-order Serpentes: Snakes
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The most common type of snake in North America - the Garter Snake. Above a pair of Mountain Garter Snakes ((Thamnophis elegans elegans) warm up on the first day of spring. Garter Snakes possess a wide variety of color schemes. The Mountain Garter displays a beautiful, blue green variation of the basic Garter Snake color.
3 Families and 15 Species of Sub order Serpentes represent wildlife in the Northwest:
Boidae Family - Boa Constrictors:
The largest serpents in the world are in the Boidae family;
vestigial hind limbs are found in these snakes; they also possess
temperature sensitive pits for finding warm blooded prey
Rubber Boa - Charina bottae
Also called a Two Headed snake due to its blunt shaped tail
that resembles another head.
Viperidae Family - Crotalinae Subfamily:
Known as the "Pit Vipers," the Viperidae have the most highly developed poison injecting mechanism of all the poisonous snakes; all have large hollow fangs that wing forward when striking; and all possess visible temperature sensitive pits for locating prey; contains the water moccasins and copperhead
Western Rattlesnake - Crotalus viridus
Our one and only poisonous snake, the Western Rattlesnake has a surprisingly wide range - from coast to desert and higher elevations
Colubrid Family - Colubridae Subfamily:
The largest and most divers family of snakes in the world with almost 700 species; also contains some of the most poisonous serpents, although none of the Coubrids in our area are poisonous.
Racer Snake - Coluber constrictor
Sharp-tailed - Snake Contia tenius
Ring-necked Snake - Diadophis punctatus
Night Snake - Hysiglena torquata
Common Kingsnake - Lampropelitis getulus
California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropelitus zonata
Striped Whipsnake - Mastiophus taeniatus
Pine Gopher Snake - Pituophus melanoleucus
Ground Snake - Sonora semiannulata
Natracine Family - Natricinae Subfamily:
Western Aquatic Garter Snake - Thamnophis couchi
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake - Thamnophis elegans
Northwestern Garter Snake - Thamnophis ordinoides
Common Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis
Say what you want about snakes, but there is no denying their fascination. Without claws, paws, digits, fingers, limbs, ears, or eyelids these scaly natural wonders have populated every continent except Antarctica. More than 2700 species share our world. Yes, they are absent from Ireland. Iceland, too. And ironically, on one other great island on the other side of the world - New Zealand is without a native population of serpents. Odd for a body of land so close to one of the all time great snake countries in the world - Australia.
Snakes are active day or night and some inhabit surprisingly high elevations and latitudes. Temperature ranges of some might surprise you, too. I've discovered Western Garter snakes out and about in fairly cool weather and it does not seem to take too much spring warmth to coax them from their burrows even in parts of Canada. They are excellent tree climbers, swimmers, and terrestrial masters.
Close up shot of a Mountain Garter Snake showing the distinctive head scales of snakes
Well know for their supposed inability to hear (they have no external ears) snakes are extremely sensitive to vibration. Not surprising for an animal with hundreds of ribs in almost direct contact with the ground. Try sneaking up on one and see how far you get before the snake is aware of your presence. New research, in fact, indicates that they may have some sense of hearing.
Besides vibration snakes communicate with the world primarily through their sense of smell. That remarkable and well known forked tongue is an exceptionally effective collector of scent molecules. When the tongue is drawn back into the snake's mouth, the molecules are rubbed off on the epithelium of the roof of the snake's mouth. There, an olfactory structure called the Jacobson's organ, picks up the molecules and acts as like the animal's nose.
Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophis ordinoides). Every spring thousands of these little fellows are born and immediately proceed to assist gardeners everywhere by devouring small slugs.
Although the majority of our Northwestern serpents are harmless we do have one poisonous specie. The Western Rattlesnake, Crotalus viridus, is found in the arid regions of eastern Washington, throughout Idaho, Oregon, and even up into parts of Canada.
Snakes tend to become extremely active in the spring. I suspect that most are highly territorial, especially the common garter snake. I have observed these reptiles patrolling the same ground over and over when the spring sun warms the ground. I've also seen the same snake appear like clockwork in a particular part of its territory.
All snakes are carnivores and all swallow their prey whole - a fact that does not exactly endear them to most people. Like the crocodilians, snakes continue to grow throughout their lives, but the pace of growth gets slower and slower as they age.
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Birds Mammals Reptiles Amphibians Fish Invertebrates Library NWWOL Online Store Home
Mission Editor Bio Site Map Contact Wildlife Park Links Further Study Wild Employment Northwest Trek