We’re excited to welcome a new clutch of seven narrow-headed gartersnakes!

This threatened native species is part of a breeding-for-release program at our Johnson Conservation Center, in partnership with Arizona Game and Fish Department and US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Born live, each baby snake is thinner than a pencil and lighter than a sheet of paper. These little snakes are the sixth clutch born at the Phoenix Zoo and the first since 2019. Some of the narrow-headed gartersnakes born previously at the Zoo have gone to other facilities for breeding, some have remained here at the Zoo, and 19 have been released to the wild. We’re excited for these narrow-headed gartersnakes to contribute to the recovery of their species!   

Did you know: The narrow-headed gartersnake is a fish-eating species typically found in and around clear, rocky, cool streams in parts of Arizona and southern New Mexico? The species was listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in 2014. A major reason for the narrow-headed gartersnake’s decline in the wild is the introduction of harmful non-native species that have reduced populations of native fish that these snakes prey upon.