To which California counties is the known distribution of the San Francisco garter snake restricted?
Answer
San Mateo County and northern Santa Cruz County
The geographic restriction of the San Francisco garter snake is extremely narrow, posing a significant conservation challenge. Its distribution is confined to a specific sliver of land along the coast of the San Francisco Bay region. Specifically, documented populations are found within San Mateo County, with some limited extensions noted into the northernmost sections of Santa Cruz County in California. This tight geographic constraint means that environmental alterations in this small area can disproportionately affect the entire species, as the snake relies on a small number of interconnected local ecosystems within these two counties.
Related Questions
To which California counties is the known distribution of the San Francisco garter snake restricted?What is the primary, almost exclusive, food source requiring the aquatic habitats of *T. s. tetrataenia*?Which dense plants are frequently noted components of the preferred terrestrial structure for *T. s. tetrataenia* cover?What functional attribute of terrestrial vegetation is considered key for the San Francisco garter snake's habitat structure?What is the primary purpose of the U.S. ESA designation of critical habitat for this snake?What analytical point is highlighted regarding the quality of habitat patches in fragmented environments?What stewardship activity requires collaboration with adjacent landowners near critical habitat markers?Which water body types are strongly associated with the life cycle needs of *Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia*?How do the habitat requirements of *T. s. tetrataenia* compare to widespread garter snakes?What distinguishes the designation of critical habitat from merely identifying occupied habitat?