The San Francisco garter snake is considered to be one of the most beautiful snakes in North America. It has a greenish-blue or blue belly, red on the top of its head, a wide pale stripe going down its back, and red and black stripes on the sides. 

Endemic to California, the San Francisco garter snake is only found on the San Francisco Peninsula from the edge of the San Francisco/San Mateo County lines south to the northern portion of Santa Cruz County. 

The snake is threatened by:

• Illegal collection;
• Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation from commercial and residential development, road construction, artificial water impoundments, and agricultural activities;
• Changes to aquatic habitat, including saltwater intrusion and drought;
• Reduction in prey availability;
• Predators or invasive species that eat the snakes (and their prey); these include species such as bullfrogs and largemouth bass.