A northwestern garter snake flattened against the ground in an attempt to look bigger. It is black with a distinct yellow stripe down its back and light green stripes down each side. It looks very intense and almost angry. Its tongue is out, black tipped and pink towards the mouth.
The same northwestern garter snake curled up in a defensive pose because flattening itself to look bigger did not scare the photographer off. It is black with a distinct yellow stripe down its back and light green stripes down each side. It looks very intense.
The same northwestern garter snake, now scooped up in the photographer's hand. It is black with a distinct yellow stripe down its back and light green stripes down each side. It isn't particularly happy to be scooped, but this was a cold November morning so it was not very fast and didn't mind the warmth provided by the hand.
A very common sight around the Railway History Campus are garter snakes. They love to warm themselves on the sidewalks. Good news for gardeners: these harmless reptiles eat mostly slugs and insects, but larger individuals can eat mice too! #WildlifeWednesdays #snakes #NRM #TrainMuseum #PNW #animals