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    The document reports two observations of the Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) swimming. The first observation was in 1980 in the Nestucca River in Oregon, where a snake was seen swimming to a small vegetated island. The second observation was in 1982 in the Columbia Slough in Oregon, where a snake was seen swimming toward the north bank and dove when approached by a skiff, then surfaced on the other side and continued swimming to the bank. Both observations indicate that the Northwestern Garter Snake may not always be strictly terrestrial as previously thought.

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    Observed swimming in wild northwestern garter snakes, Thamnophis ordinoides

    Original Title

    Thamnophis ordinoides Swimming

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    The document reports two observations of the Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) swimming. The first observation was in 1980 in the Nestucca River in Oregon, where a snake was seen swimming to a small vegetated island. The second observation was in 1982 in the Columbia Slough in Oregon, where a snake was seen swimming toward the north bank and dove when approached by a skiff, then surfaced on the other side and continued swimming to the bank. Both observations indicate that the Northwestern Garter Snake may not always be strictly terrestrial as previously thought.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    21 views1 page

    Thamnophis Ordinoides Swimming

    Uploaded by

    kirkpletho9345
    The document reports two observations of the Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) swimming. The first observation was in 1980 in the Nestucca River in Oregon, where a snake was seen swimming to a small vegetated island. The second observation was in 1982 in the Columbia Slough in Oregon, where a snake was seen swimming toward the north bank and dove when approached by a skiff, then surfaced on the other side and continued swimming to the bank. Both observations indicate that the Northwestern Garter Snake may not always be strictly terrestrial as previously thought.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 1

    Kirk,
James
J.
1983.
Thamnophis
ordinoides.
Behavior.

    
Herpetological
Review

    14(1):22.


    Thamnophis
ordinoides
(Northwestern
Garter
Snake).
Behavior.

Thamnophis

    ordinoides
has
been
thought
to
be
strictly
terrestrial
(Stewart.
1968.
J.
Herpetol.

    2:71‐86;
Hebard.
1951.
Herpetologica
7:61‐62;
Fitch.
1940.
Univ.
Calif.
Publ.
Zool.

    44(1):1‐50).

Gayle
Gillis
and
I
have
seen
T.
ordinoides
swimming
on
two
occasions,

    which
indicates
that
T.
ordinoides
may
not
always
be
strictly
terrestrial.

    
 Late
on
a
fall
afternoon
in
1980
we
observed
a
T.
ordinoides
swimming
in
the

    Nestucca
River
at
a
point
between
Hebo
and
Woods,
Tillamook
County,
Oregon.

We

    came
upon
the
swimming
snake
by
canoe.

Nothing
was
in
sight
that
might
have

    alarmed
the
snake
into
entering
the
water.

It
swam
through
moderate
current
to
a

    small
vegetated
island
composed
of
a
partially
submerged
stump.

The
rive
is
about

    10
meters
wide
at
that
point.

    
 Early
on
the
afternoon
of
11
July
1982,
we
saw
a
T.
ordinoides
near
the

    middle
of
the
Columbia
Slough
swimming
toward
the
north
bank
midway
between

    the
Union
Pacific
and
the
Spokane
Pacific
and
Seattle
railroad
bridges
in
the
NE
¼
of

    the
SW
¼
of
section
5,
T1N,
R1E,
W.M.,
Portland,
Multnomah
County,
Oregon.

We

    steered
our
skiff
between
the
snake
and
the
north
bank.

It
dove
about
5
meters

    from
the
skiff,
surfaced
a
few
seconds
later
on
the
opposite
side
of
the
skiff,
and

    continued
to
the
north
bank.

We
followed
it
to
the
bank,
where
I
captured
it,

    verified
its
identity,
and
released
it.

    
 The
Columbia
Slough
is
about
110
meters
wide
at
the
site
of
out
observation,

    and
is
deep
enough
for
commercial
tugs.

Both
north
and
south
banks
are
very
steep

    mud
with
overhanging
blackberry
canes.

Emergent
vegetation
is
absent.

At
the

    time
of
our
observation
the
water
was
turbid
and
flowing
very
slowly
upstream
due

    to
tidal
influence.

The
wind
was
nearly
calm
and
the
water
surface
was
glassy

    smooth.

The
sun
was
shining
and
the
air
temperature
was
between
27˚
and
30˚
C.

    

    
 Submitted
by
JAMES
J.
KIRK,
5004
S.E.
44th
Avenue,
Portland,
Oregon
97206.


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