San Francisco Garter Snake

Even those who aren’t reptile fans can’t deny that the stunning reddish-orange and blue stripes are beautiful. San Fransisco garter snakes make their home in San Mateo County and the northern edge of Santa Cruz County.

Unfortunately, their habitats have been hit hard for a long time by agricultural, residential, commercial, and recreational development—and they’re also popular with illegal collectors, two factors that landed the snake on the endangered species list in 1967. They like to hang out around vegetated ponds with open hilly areas to take in the sun, eat, or hide in rodent burrows, and pose no threat to humans.

They can grow to be 51 inches long and their favorite food is the red-legged frog, also on the endangered species list.