On a recent trip to collect native plants for the back yard I got two surprises within 10 minutes. I found both of them in the open on a vegetated slope. I found my first pacific northwest snakes without even looking for them! Everytime i see snakes in the wild it's always exciting, even if it's a species I've seen routinely. After a quick photo session with my phone, I released them back to where I found them.

Thamnophis ordioides
Red-striped morph


Yellow-striped morph