Applegater Spring 2012 13
Snakes in the ’Gate
BY jASoN rEiLLY
As you may have heard, southwestern
Oregon is recognized for its high levels of
biological diversity. Along with conifers,
butterflies, and amphibians, snakes are one
group of species that exhibit considerable
diversity within southwestern Oregon.
In fact, the warm climate and broad array
of habitat types found in Jackson and
Josephine Counties result in the highest
snake diversity across all of Oregon. Of the
15 snake species native to Oregon, 13 can
be found right here in our own backyard!
The Applegate Valley (’Gate) in particular
is a hot spot for the more uncommon and
rare species. Let’s talk about a few of the
more unusual or noteworthy.
Garter Snakes
The garter snake (Thamnophis sp.) is
one of the more common types of snake
that most people encounter, although
there are actually four distinct species in
our region. Members of this genus get
their common name, garter snake, because
most garter snakes have three distinct
stripes down their backs (one down the
center and one on either side) that give
them an appearance similar to an old-
fashioned garter. The common garter
snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) is frequently
encountered in our valley habitats and is
in fact the widest ranging reptile in North
America. The less common northwestern
garter snake (T. ordinoides) has adapted to
life in the Pacific Northwest (found from
extreme northern California to British
Columbia) and inhabits densely forested
areas where it feeds on slugs, earthworms,
snails and even the occasional salamander.
The Pacific Coast aquatic garter snake (T.
atratus) is more closely associated with
water than any other northwestern snake,
and can be found along the main stem
of the Applegate River and probably a
few of its larger tributaries. The western
terrestrial garter snake (T. elegans) inhabits
a variety of habitat types from forested
stands to oak and chaparral. There is
considerable variation in the appearance
of these snakes both within and between
species, and distinguishing each species
from one another is not always an easy
task, even for the experienced “herper”
(short for herpetologist, those of us who
study snakes).
Rubber Boa
What, you didn’t know we had boas
in the ‘Gate? Don’t worry, the rubber boa
(Charina bottae) rarely exceeds two feet
in length and is a very docile species. A
fairly drab snake, its smooth scales and
loose skin gives this uniformly light tan to
dark brown to olive green snake a rubbery
appearance. When observed up close, the
small eye of the rubber boa reveals a vertical
pupil like a cat’s eye. The tail of the rubber
boa is remarkably similar in shape and size
to the head, and in fact this is by design.
This snake uses its tail as a decoy while it
consumes its favorite food, young mice
and shrews. Often one can observe scars
on the tail of adult rubber boas, left from
the attacks of mother mice while defending
their young, mistakenly distracted by the
tail while the head eats the young. Hey, I
didn’t say this was going to be pretty.
King snakes
King snakes (Lampropeltis sp.) share
a distinct color pattern that is easily
recognizable. Almost all of them have
a pattern of alternating bands or rings
of various colors across the length of
the body. Each species has a different
color pattern of bands. The Applegate is
home to two species, the common king
The striped whipsnake.
Prime Property
snake (L. getula) and the
California mountain
king snake (L. zonata).
The common king
snake has a pattern
of black, sometimes
chocolate brown and
white bands, whereas the California
mountain king snake has a pattern of black
and white bands, with the black bands
being more or less divided by a vibrant
red band.
The common king snake, so named
because it is distributed across much of
the southern United States, reaches the
northernmost extent of its range in the
Rogue and Umpqua drainages. For this
reason, the common king snake is rare
in Oregon. However, this species can be
found right here, as it is known to occur
in the lower-elevation valley bottoms and
river corridors of the Rogue and Applegate
Rivers.
In comparison to the common king
snake, the California mountain king snake
can be found in a greater variety of locations
across southwestern Oregon, but is by no
means a common species. Sightings of this
species are fairly widespread in our region,
but are concentrated around the rocky
canyon stretches of the Rogue, Applegate
and Illinois Rivers. These areas offer
premium habitat for this species, where
their preferred prey, the western fence lizard
(you may know it as the “blue-belly”), is
found in abundance. This animal’s vibrant
coloration is truly remarkable, and most
people who encounter this species are
struck by its beauty, even if they tend to
hate or fear snakes.
Striped Whipsnake
Although this snake has a fairly
large distribution that covers much of
eastern Oregon, the striped whipsnake
(Masticophis teaneatus) is perhaps the rarest
snake of our region. It is known only from
a handful of locations along the Applegate
River and around the Table Rocks. As a
resident of the ’Gate, you should consider
yourself lucky if you get the chance to
observe one.
Adults of this species are often large
(four feet in length) and have a relatively
large eyeball in relation to the size of the
head. The back is dark and they have
two yellow or cream stripes running
Top photo: Garter snake (photo by Adam
Simpson, www.naturalist.tryonfriends.org).
Middle photo: A rubber boa in defensive
posture. Note the tail is being presented as a
decoy, while the head is safely hidden
in the middle of the coils.
Bottom photo: A California mountain king
snake. This smaller individual was found
basking along the Illinois River.
lengthwise along each side of the back.
Superficially similar to garter snakes, you
can distinguish this species from garter
snakes by the lack of a third stripe down
the middle of the back. The underside
of this snake is a light cream or yellow
towards the head, but as you move closer to
the tip of the tail it becomes progressively
more and more of a salmon pink. A very
fast and alert snake, this species is active
throughout the day even on the hottest
days of summer when most other snakes
shift to mornings and evenings.
Jason Reilly • 541-618-2200
Wildlife Biologist
Bureau of Land Management
Medford District Office
jreilly@blm.gov
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