REPTILES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 



211 



The ground color above is olive or greenish yellow or 

 brown. Along the middle of the back runs a yellow 

 line of varying width. On the second and third rows 

 of scales of each side is a similar yellow line. Any or 

 all of these lines may be very indistinct or even absent. 

 On each side of the back are 

 two series of alternating 

 black spots, the upper of 

 which often encroach upon 

 the dorsal line. These spots 

 sometimes unite to form a 

 zigzag band along each side, 

 or may be obscured by the darkening of the ground 

 color. The top of the head is usually light brown, with 

 a yellow pineal spot. There is a pair of large dark 

 nuchal blotches. The gastrosteges and urosteges are 

 almost always more or less marbled with black or slate, 

 especially near their anterior edges and along the 

 middle of the belly. The chin and throat normally 

 are yellowish white. 



Length to anus 295 342 485 520 525 535 



Length of tail 97 117 175 150 160 155 



Distribution. In California, the Wandering Garter 

 Snake has been reported from Humboldt Bay, and is 

 known to live on both slopes of the Sierra Nevada 

 throughout the whole length of the chain. It ranges 

 east across Nevada (Ash Meadows, Silver Creek, etc.) to 

 Utah, and is common in Idaho (Salmon Mts., Birch 

 Creek, Challis Valley, Alturas Lake, Trail Creek, Sand 

 Point, Lewiston, Potlach Creek, Juliaetta, Wardner, Sho- 

 shone Falls, Ketcham, Blue Lake, Kootenai Co., Arco, 

 Weiser, etc.). It crosses the border into British Colum- 

 bia, and occurs in the eastern parts of Washington and 

 Oregon, being replaced in the western portions of these 

 states by its subspecies T. vagrans biscutata. 



