104. Northwestern Gartersnake

It is very exciting to hear the first rustle of the leaves and dry grasses in the spring as the snakes emerge and the little ones head out to explore the world. The gartersnake that we see most frequently at Leaning Oaks is the northwestern or Thamnophis ordinoides. They are very variable in colour from the ones seen above to a drab plain brown. They feed on slugs and earthworms -a happy thing for the garden! The females can be nearly a meter in total length. The small, blunt nosed head that is not very distinct from the rest of the body  help to distinguish this species from the other two gartersnakes that are found on Vancouver Island- and B.C.. They are also the most terrestrial of the three species.

We had an amazing experience one afternoon as we watched a Great Horned Owl slowly, slowly stalk an adult northwestern garternake, grab it and then start at the head and feed it slowly lengthwise down it's bill - all while the owl stood on a bench below our vantage point from an upper window.