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Reptiles & Amphibians

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Common Gartersnake - Thamnophis sirtalis

Valley Gartersnake - Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi

Fox, 1951

Range Map

Orange = range of T. s. fitchi
Click map to enlarge and see key to other subspecies





Related or Similar Northwest Snakes:

Puget Sound Gartersnake
Red-spotted Gartersnake
Wandering Gartersnake
Northwestern Gartersnake



observation link



Valley Gartersnake
Adult, Klickitat County, Washington
Valley Gartersnake Valley Gartersnake Valley Gartersnake
  Adult, Klickitat County, Washington  
Valley Gartersnake Valley Gartersnake Valley Gartersnake
Adult, Klickitat County, Washington Adult, Klickitat County, Washington Adult, Klickitat County, Washington
Valley Gartersnake Valley Gartersnake Valley Gartersnake
Juvenile, Kittitas County, Washington Adult with considerable red coloring on the side of the head, Skagit County, Washington © Zachary Lim In some areas, Valley Gartersnakes overwinter in large groups. Here you can see a mass emergence of Valley Gartersnakes and Wandering Gartersnakes in early May, Lincoln County, Wyoming. © Leslie Schreiber
     
Common Gartersnakes from the large intergrade area on the Olympic Peninsula and south
where there are influences from T. s. concinnus, T. s. fitchi, and T. s. pickeringii
Common Gartersnake Common Gartersnake Common Gartersnake
Adult from the northern Olympic Peninsula in Clallam County, Washington, that shows influence of
T. s. fitchi
as well as the red on the head found on T. s. concinnus © Mario Ramos
Common Gartersnake Common Gartersnake Common Gartersnake
This adult Common Gartersnake from the Lake Quinalt area in Grays Harbor, Washington
shows a lot of influence from T. s. concinnus © Mario Ramos
Common Gartersnake Valley Gartersnake Valley Gartersnake
This Common Gartersnake was found at a location in Pacific County, Washington, which is shown in field guides as an intergrade zone with the Puget Sound Gartersnake, T. s. pickeringii and possibly with the Valley Gartersnake,
T. s. fitchi,
which it mostly resembles.
     
  head comparison  
  Looking at the top of the heads can help to identify these sympatric species:

T. sirtalis - Common Gartersnake (Left) has a larger longer head with bigger eyes than T. ordinoides - Northwestern Gartersnake (Right.)

© Filip Tkaczyk
 
     
Habitat
Valley Gartersnake habitat Valley Gartersnake habitat Valley Gartersnake habitat
Snake in habitat, 4,100 ft.,
Kittitas County, Washington
Snake in habitat,
Klickitat County, Washington
Habitat, Klickitat County, Washington
Valley Gartersnake habitat Valley Gartersnake habitat Rough-skinned Newt habitat
Habitat, Kittitas County, Washington
Habitat, Klickitat County, Washington Habitat, Pacific County, Washington
     
Short Video
  Valley Gartersnake  
A Valley Gartersnake is discovered resting in the sun near the edge of a mountain pond which is still half-surrounded by snow. When I get too close, the snake races off, showing the speed with which this gartersnake can crawl and swim to safety.
 
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