The Northwestern Garter Snake

I grew up in the country in McMinnville Oregon. I remember encountering Gartner snakes around my yard growing up. I would often catch them and bring them home to observe them. I learned that they were harmless except for the skunk like smell they would sometimes release as a defense mechanism. Today as I was taking photographs in Oaks Bottom, I met a family that had captured a garter snake and they were in the process of examining it. I asked permission to take a…