Stunning California snake endangered since the 1960s prepares to make a comeback

"In an unassuming building at the San Francisco Zoo, 115 brilliantly colored baby snakes are being fattened up on a diet of worms. These are endangered San Francisco garter snakes and during a visit in early December, they were small enough to curl up in a ball in the palm of your hand. Each has a red-orange head, a turquoise belly, and vivid red and blue-yellow stripes."

"Listed as endangered since 1967, San Francisco garter snakes are found only on the Peninsula and in northern Santa Cruz County. They have been in trouble for decades, threatened by urban development, which has fragmented their remaining habitat. But 2026 could mark a turnaround, as the zoo-born snakes are released into the wild as part of a "head-start" program run by multiple federal and local agencies."

"One surprising stronghold is a 180-acre property just west of Highway 101 which is owned by San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and is home to an estimated 1,300 of the snakes. "We have probably the largest population of the San Francisco garter snake," said Audrey Park, the airport's environmental affairs manager. SFO carefully monitors and protects the wetland habitats on its property, conducting a population survey of the San Francisco garter snake every five years, Park said."

One hundred fifteen captive-born San Francisco garter snakes are being reared at the San Francisco Zoo and fed worms until release. The hatchlings are brightly colored with red-orange heads, turquoise bellies, and vivid stripe patterns. The species has been listed as endangered since 1967 and exists only on the Peninsula and northern Santa Cruz County, with only a few thousand estimated in the wild. Urban development and habitat fragmentation threaten remaining populations. A multi-agency head-start program will release zoo-raised snakes into the wild in 2026 to bolster numbers. San Francisco International Airport protects a 180-acre wetland stronghold estimated to hold about 1,300 snakes, monitors populations, and uses automated cameras.

Read at The Mercury News