A small snake, ranging from 1 to 2 ruler lengths long, adults are black, brown, or olive in colour. The northwestern garter snake is most commonly found on the edge of meadows, surrounded by forest, as some sunshine is needed for its survival. Northwestern Garter Snake. Striped racers are long, slim, and black, with two long yellow to orange stripes and a yellow belly. Unlike most garter snakes, though, it does not have a stripe running directly down its spine. Identification becomes more difficult when they have a different body stripe and there are no other garter snakes in the area to use as a size comparison. Garter snake, (genus Thamnophis), any of more than a dozen species of nonvenomous snakes having a striped pattern suggesting a garter: typically, one or three longitudinal yellow to red stripes, between which are checkered blotches. This snake and the one above were found east of Snoqualmie Pass near Cle Elum, Kittitas County, Washington. It can also be found under stumps when it is too hot out. It can also be found under stumps when it is too hot out. It’s a … Continue reading → Yesterday I caught and photographed a red-stripe color morph of the Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) at Rock Creek in Coastal Lane County.My copy of Reptiles of Washington and Oregon has a picture of one with a blackish ground color and the text also talks about red-striped individual that could have any of several ground colors. T. ordinoides preys on slugs, salamanders, and frogs. The red-sided garter snake has a red or orange head and a blue underside. I'd never seen a garter snake with such a nice red stripe down his back and at first I assumed it was a local race of the Common Garter Snake because some races of that species display red side stripes and red speckles. It can also be found under stumps when it is too hot out. It’s a … Continue reading → The Northwestern garter snake is smaller than the Common garter snake, with adults averaging 12-24 inches (30-61 cm) in length. Snake Links. And that is for a good reason. Striped racers are long, slim, and black, with two long yellow to orange stripes and a yellow belly. Thamnophis ordinoides: Northwestern Garter Snake General Thamnophis ordinoides is a relatively small species of garter snake. This garter snake also has a smaller head, and does not have regularly spaced red markings along their sides. Diet. It is still quite rare in captivity but more and more people are keeping them. Red-striped garter snake Black garter snake Boyd's garter snake Cooper's garter snake Pacific coast garter snake Puget sound garter snake Small-headed striped snake Western garter snake : Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) There are no known serious threats to this species.