In California, only rattlesnakes have venom that is dangerous to humans. These are the native and well-established alien herps that inhabit the Bay Area, which for our purposes includes the land surrounding most of the San Francisco Bay including parts of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Napa and Marin counties. The San Francisco garter snake has been dubbed “the most beautiful serpent in North America,” and it's arguably one of the most endangered species, too. Despite having enlarged teeth, the garter snakes lack an efficient means of delivering venom since their gums are comparatively … (These are listed as … have a wide diversity of colors and patterns. Gartersnakes have toxins in their saliva which can be deadly to their prey and their bite might produce an unpleasant reaction in humans, but they are not considered dangerous to humans. San Mateo Park Stewardship intern. Similar to other garter snakes, San Francisco garter snakes can be housed in 20-gallon terraria with a substrate of shredded aspen, loamy soil or coconut fibers. All known populations of this fantastically colored snake occur in scarce coastal and bayside wetlands in San Mateo County. That is a lovely San Francisco Garter, aka Red-Sided Garter Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis. Flashing a bright teal underside, red and black stripes, and a notable red head, the snake is famous for its beautiful coloration. One can easily imagine that quite a few animals have been smuggled illegally into Europe over the last decade captive stock that was apparently sorely inbred for blue and red individuales. Not Dangerous (Non-poisonous) - This snake does not have venom that is dangerous to most humans. FOOD. San Mateo California.Wild populations of San Francisco Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia SFG. Summary 5 The San Francisco garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) is a slender multi-colored subspecies of the common garter snake.Designated as an endangered subspecies since the year 1967, it is endemic to San Mateo County and the extreme northern part of … They need a humidity of at least 60 percent to thrive, so provide a large water bowl that will be used for bathing and often feeding as … Adults mainly eat small frogs such as the CA red-legged frog (143 KB PDF). They may hunt after dark on warm evenings. Garter snakes are not dangerous. tetrataenia) and red-sided garter snake (T.s. The color is a little oversaturated, but not much. The California red-sided garter snake or red-sided garter is a subspecies of common garter snakes found in North America. The San Francisco garter snake is considered by many the most beautiful snake in … infernalis) are two distinct subspecies of the common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis).Both of these subspecies are found on the San Francisco Peninsula. They are an endangered subspecies of garter snake. SF garter snakes are active during the day. SAN FRANCISCO GARTER SNAKE Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia . These colorful, medium-sized snakes are considered harmless since their mild neurotoxic venom is not deadly to humans. The San Francisco garter snake (T.s. The San Francisco garter snake, considered “the most beautiful snake in North America,” is an absolute treasure residing within our very own San Mateo County. Keeping a garter snake as a pet is not recommended because of its speed and specific diet. Garter snakes are the snakes usually found in the pockets of schoolchildren as well as in the schoolroom terrarium.