Amid the slew of bills moving through the California Legislature this week, one that slithered across Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s desk was different from the others. Though the grizzly bear has long been ...

California will have an official state snake in 2026. A new law that takes effect in January makes the giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas) the official state snake. The species is native to ...

It’s not always easy getting the average person obsessed with snakes. They’re often an object of fear. But some enthusiasts want to change that — like Michael Starkey. He’s the founder of the ...

Earlier this month the giant garter snake joined an illustrious group including Dungeness crab, grizzly bears and redwood trees when it became an official symbol of the state of California. The ...

California has announced two new state symbols. Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Friday establishing the bigberry manzanita as California’s state shrub and the giant garter snake as the ...

Gov. Gavin Newsom has been busy in recent weeks signing bills on everything from housing policy to prescription drug costs. But he also signed legislation last week that included two new symbols for ...