Garter snakes are protected here on the San Francisco peninsula. When they were extending the BART subway line to SFO Airport a few years back, the project was delayed for a long time because construction equipment ran over a gartner snake. If they ran over me, no problem, but a gartner snake is sooo precious with the libs here.
I don't dare tell anyone about the snakes in my back yard; I'm rebuilding a deck and was playing with some gartner snakes yesterday - love teasing my wife and daughters with them - don't want inspectors stopping my projects.
why are they protected??? We have tons of them around, we'll send you some if you have a shortage! Right now I have a 4 foot garter snake that lives in my flower garden, I'm leaving him alone cause he eats the insects, but when they get that big they will try to strike you, if he does that he is history. Out in the western part of the state rattlers are a dime a dozen, could send you a couple of those too. We'll be happy to share!
I'd sleep with one eye open if I were you.