A Conservation Victory: The Giant Gartersnake is the Official State Snake of California!
On October 9, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 765 into law, officially designating the giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) as the State Snake of California. This monumental achievement is the result of a successful, multi-year campaign led by Save The Snakes in partnership with Senator Roger Niello and the California Rice Commission. This designation immediately raises awareness and conservation action for this spectacular serpent, as declaring the giant gartersnake the official state snake leverages the visibility of a state symbol to ensure conservation education for millions of students about this threatened species vital to the health of California’s Central Valley wetlands.
Why the Giant Gartersnake is the Official California State Snake
- The giant gartersnake is endemic to California, meaning it can be found nowhere else in the world. This snake is perfectly adapted to living in wetlands in the Central Valley, with limited distribution throughout the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley.
- The giant gartersnake is truly a giant and is the largest species of all gartersnake species. Adult snakes have been documented to reach 64 inches in length.
- The giant gartersnake is one of the most aquatic gartersnake species and survives in habitat that is characterized by shallow, slow-moving streams, ponds, and marshes. The snake is also found in agricultural areas, such as rice fields, where it uses irrigation ditches and canals for transportation between water bodies.
- The giant gartersnake is a threatened species, and its population has declined by more than 90% in the past century. The primary threats to the snake’s survival are habitat loss and degradation, as well as predation by non-native species. Habitat loss is due to several factors, including agricultural development, water diversion, and pollution and pesticides. Furthermore, as California faces an uncertain future due to Climate Change, so does the survival of this uniquely California species. The giant gartersnake was listed as Threatened under the California Endangered Species Act in 1971, Threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act in 1993, and Vulnerable on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Animals in 1996.
- Declaring the giant gartersnake as the official state snake of California has acknowledged the species’ important place in the ecology, agriculture and water resources of California, and now broadcasts and reinforces the state’s commitment to protecting endangered species.
You can make a difference for giant gartersnakes
- Protecting and restoring its habitat. Giant gartersnakes need wetlands and other wet areas to survive. Protecting and restoring these habitats will help to ensure that the snakes have a place to live.
- Reducing water pollution. Water pollution can kill giant gartersnakes and make it difficult for them to find food. Reducing water pollution will help to improve the quality of the snakes’ habitat.
- Controlling invasive species. Invasive species, like nonnative water snakes and bullfrogs, can compete with giant gartersnakes for food and habitat. Controlling these species will help to reduce the pressure on the snakes.
- Raising awareness. Raising awareness about the plight of the giant gartersnake can help to encourage people to take action to protect it.
Giant gartersnakes are important, let's save them together
Save The Snakes depends on the assistance of generous people like you to help fund international snake conservation efforts. Please donate today to help us to continue giant gartersnake conservative efforts in California.
The Save The Snakes giant gartersnake campaign art and our giant gartersnake stickers were graciously designed by wildlife artist & muralist Joey Rose and wildlife artist Claire Spiller.
