Thamnophis ordinoides
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The northwestern garter snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America. In the United States, T. ordinoides is found in California, Oregon, and Washington; in Canada, it is found in British Columbia.
The northwestern garter snake is small, with adults averaging around 13–38 in (33–97 cm) in total length (including tail). Its color and scale patterns are varied and can include small dark spots. Common vertebral stripe colors are white, yellow, orange, red, green, turquoise, and blue.
The northwestern garter snake is primarily found on the edges of meadows surrounded by forest, as the species requires a fair amount of sunlight for its survival. In British Columbia it can also be commonly found near bodies of both freshwater and saltwater, where it hunts small fish and amphibians. In scenarios in which it is too hot outside, these snakes can also be found under stumps and rocks in order to shield themselves from the sunlight.
T. ordinoides preys on slugs, salamanders, and frogs. Baird SF, Girard CF (1852). "Descriptions... Wikipedia →
Recording0:01
United States · 2026
© saamde · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northwestern Garter Snake sighting in Vancouver on a given day, based on 151 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 8 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March to November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northwestern Garter Snake in Vancouver on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northwestern Garter Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Northwestern Garter Snake sightings, Vancouver ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Portland (United States, about 20%) and Seattle (United States, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northwestern Garter Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Vancouver (151 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
