San Francisco articles
When was the San Francisco garter snake officially listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)?
How many known significant populations of SFGS currently remain across its fragmented habitat?
What specific type of underground refugia do San Francisco garter snakes utilize for winter hibernation and summer dormancy?
Which threatened amphibian, heavily dependent on shallow water for metamorphosis, forms a critical part of the SFGS diet?
What minimum adult census target, maintained across 10 populations, does the 1985 Recovery Plan aim for before considering the SFGS recovered?
According to demographic simulations, what is the recommended duration for releasing head-started juveniles into a single subpopulation to maximize viability?
What dual threat is posed to the SFGS ecosystem by the presence of non-native American bullfrogs?
What specific visual characteristics make the San Francisco garter snake prone to illegal poaching for the pet trade?
What is the ideal shallow water depth, measured in centimeters, required near pond edges for SFGS foraging between May and July?
Which two specific open space preserves are mentioned as actively supporting SFGS populations while also being managed as cattle ranches?
What is the federal listing status under the Endangered Species Act for the San Francisco garter snake?
What combination of colors defines the unmistakable appearance of *Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia*?
Which three California counties contain the remarkably restricted historical and current range of the snake?
What aquatic amphibian appears to be the primary food source for the San Francisco garter snake?
What key subterranean structural element is required in the terrestrial habitat component for refuge and brumation?
What is the recommended minimum safe distance observers must maintain when spotting a federally threatened garter snake?
During which seasonal period are San Francisco garter snakes most visible for active basking and hunting?
What core issue, combined with habitat loss, drives the endangered classification of this subspecies?
What landscape characteristic is cited as a strong indicator of a quality habitat patch requiring a necessary balance?
Which area is specifically noted as generally being outside the concentrated search zone for this federally threatened subspecies?
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?