Dan:

Through much of the Willamette Valley of western Oregon from at least Eugene in the south to Portland in the north and spilling over into parts of western Washington, the most common morphs of the Red-spotted Garter Snake (Common Garter Snake) are similar to the one shown by Kent. This color variant possess a single bright yellow dorsal stripe, consider amount of orange / red pigment on the head, and mostly black ventrals except at the neck.



Some variation of course occurs with the blotches along the sides varying some in size and intensity of coloration. And the amount of red / orange on the head can vary as does the amount of black on the ventrals. But near the eastern and western sides of the valley and up side valleys that penetrate the Coast and Cascade mountain ranges, more variation becomes apparent and it not uncommon in those areas to find specimens with lateral stripes as well and bluish ventrals instead of black ventrals.



I have seen all of the color variants of the Common Garter Snake on the west coast and it is my view that some of the local Red-spotted Garters match or exceed the beauty of all other geographical races including the San Francisco Garter Snake. Just a personal opinion of course.



Richard F. Hoyer (Corvallis, Oregon)

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