REPTILES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 203 



entirely replaced by red. These color variutions are all 

 individual, none geographical. 



Length to auns 185 475 565 695 7 If) 870 



Length of tail 67 160 190 227 200 210 + 



Distribution. — The Pacific Garter Snake ranges all 

 over the territory under consideration, excepting the 

 desert areas and the western parts of Washington and 

 Oregon. It is abundant in eastern Washington and 

 Oregon and in Idaho, and has been reported from sev- 

 eral localities in Nevada. 



It occurs in all parts of California except the Mojave 

 and Colorado Deserts. I have examined specimens from 

 Siskiyou (Mt. Shasta), Placer (Lake Tahoe), Mariposa 

 (Yosemite Valley), Fresno (Fresno), Humboldt, Men- 

 docino (Pieta), Lake (Kelseyville), Sonoma (Healds- 

 burg, Duncan's Mills), Marin (Tomales Bay), Santa 

 Clara (Palo Alto), Santa Cruz (Glen wood), San Bernar- 

 dino (Ontario) and Riverside (Riverside) Counties. 



Habits. — Like its relatives, the Pacific Garter Snake is 

 seldom found far from water. Its food is composed of 

 fish, batrachians, and the smaller mammals. "Along 

 the shores of the larger island in Pyramid Lake vast 

 numbers of Eidcvnice sltb found, comprising this and, in 

 all probability, several other recognized varieties. Dur- 

 ing the heated part of the day, the mossy tracts in the 

 tepid, shallow water of the little inlets were thronged 

 with them, as they swam in gentle undulations over the 

 smooth surface or idly basked on the heated rocks along 

 the shore. In no other locality have we ever seen them 

 in such numbers. When disturbed, they swam boldly 

 out into open water or sought the bottom and hid them- 

 selves under the rocks. Though not in the true sense 

 of the word ' water snakes,' the various Eiitcnnice are all 

 thus quite aquatic in their habits."* 



•Yarrow & Henshaw, Ann. Rep. Surv. W. 100th JVIer., Append. NN, 1878, p. 217. 



