Aquatic Garter Snake

Thamnophis atrstus or the Aquatic Garter Snake is a species of colubrid snake residing exclusively along the coast of Oregon and California. Two subspecies are currently recognized. One variety of the snake has a blue-gray background color with a faint olive colored dorsal stripe and white dots along its sides. Another morph has a yellow dorsal stripe with black spots along its sides. The second variation is the more classic garter snake look however, due to behavior and scalation, it is grouped in this species. Occasionally, while the snake a is hunting for food in a stream, it will flicker its tongue above the water to mimick an insect that a small fish would want to eat, thus luring the prey into its mouth.