Orcas Island
Orcas Island in San Juan County, Washington is located north of Puget
Sound in the northwest corner of Washington state. The island is 57 square miles of mostly rural or undeveloped land. It is a tourist destination for fans of marine wildlife, but it was a recent discovery on land that has made it a place of interest for herpetologists.
Reptiles of Orcas Island
In Seattle Audubon Society’s Reptiles of Washington and Oregon guide, published in September 1995, the only reptiles to be listed in
San Juan County were three species of garter snake - Common
(
Northwestern (
), and Western
Terrestrial (
) - and the Northern Alligator Lizard (
).
Sharp-tailed Snake
In 2007 an individual of another snake species, the sharp-tailed snake (
was found under a rock on Turtleback
Mountain on Orcas Island
(O’Donnell and McCutchen
2008). Prior to this discovery, a Sharp-tailed
Snake sighting had not been recorded in Washington state since 1949 and the species is a candidate for an endangered listing in the state. Although it has a large, continuous distribution in the southern parts of its range - in California and Oregon - northern populations in Washington and Canada are small, fragmented, and often found on private lands with little-to-no habitat protection.
In April 2012, I conducted a social survey in the area of the largest concentrated population on the island—Eastsound. Going from shop to shop along the main streets, I asked locals three questions: “Have you seen a reptile on the island in the past year?” “Where?” and “What did it look like?”
Of the 40 locals I approached, 39 completed surveys, giving 35 snake locations, 2 turtle locations, and 3 lizard locations.
In order to better educate the public about the presence and importance of the sharp-tailed snake, I contacted several organizations and groups (see below) on the island with the ability to spread the word to many citizens and visitors to the island. In the flyer I distributed (below), I gave a description of the species, a note about where it was found on the island, and encouraged readers to report any reptile sightings to a dedicated e-mail address.
Partner Organizations:
Orcas Island Chamber of
Commerce


Flyer in weekly newsletter
Flyer in the visitor center

Orcas Island High School
Flyer in biology classes



Camp Orkila
Flyer posted around camp

Camp counselors informed
Friends of Moran State Park
Contact with lead volunteer
Talks of creating reptile display at new education center
When describing the snakes they sighted, locals only referred to them as “garden” or
“garter snakes.” In post-interview conversations with residents, I found that none had heard of the sharp-tailed snake before and had no idea a rare reptile species was found on the island.
Future Direction
The flyer has generated some response, including from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, which is planning a survey on the island. I have agreed to forward any useful information to them to aid in their research.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my advisor, Aaron Wirsing, for his direction and my mom for her support and assistance.
References
Brown, Herbert A., R. Bruce Bury, David M. Darda, Lowell V. Diller, Charlies R. Peterson, and Robert M.
Storm. September 1995. Reptiles of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society, Seattle, Washington.
O’Donnell, Ryan P. and Doug McCutchen. Autumn 2008. A Sharp-Tailed Snake (
in the San Juan
Islands: Western Washington’s First Record in 58 Years. Northwestern Naturalist 89:107-109.