Reptiles in the Temperate Rainforest

Rubber Boa

• The rubber boa is grayish brown and has loose, wrinkled skin that looks like rubber. It is most active at night, and likes to burrow under rocks, logs and leaves. This snake is very slow, so it defends itself by rolling into a ball and sticking its tail up as a faux head. It prefers to eat shrews and mice. The rubber boa is one of the smaller of the boa species. Newborns are 7.5 to 9 inches long, and adults are between 15 to 33 inches.

Gopher Snake

• The gopher snake is grayish yellow, and has brown markings on its side and back. It also has thin dark lines which circle the face around the eyes. The gopher snake is very aggressive, and the adult can grow up to 39 inches long. This snake prefers to eat small animals such as birds and gophers, which is where it gets its name.

Common and Western Garter

• A garter snake is dark brown or black, with a pattern of yellow stripes or checkers on its back. Its belly is yellow or light green. Garter snakes live in a wide assortment of environments, such as ponds, wetlands, forests, residential gardens and fields. They prefer to bask on stone walls, rocks, swimming pool decks and piles of wood. Garter snakes primarily eat earthworms and amphibians, though they may also prey on small mammals.

Snapping Turtles

• Snapping turtles are very large. They grow to be between 20 and 40 cm long and have rough, dark brown shells. Unlike most turtles, snapping turtles have large heads and cannot withdraw their heads into their shells. Snapping turtles prefer calm water, such as stagnant ponds or slow rivers. When the snapping turtle feels threatened, it will snap and hiss while rocking back and forth on all four legs. Snapping turtles prefer to eat carrion.