Bats, Squirrel, Snake Listed

King snakes, Washington ground squirrels and all species of bats recently added to Washington’s state list of protected wildlife species.

The ruling by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission enlarges the list of critters that - generally speaking - you can’t catch or kill. King snakes are the first reptile to make the Washington list.

The Washington ground squirrel is one of three species of ground squirrels in the Columbia Basin. It has small white spots and a black-tipped tail.

Livestock grazing, poisoning, shooting and a variety of agricultural practices have resulted in its decline, the department says.

The squirrels still could be controlled in small areas if they inflict significant damage to crops, but a special permit would be required from the state Fish and Wildlife Department.

Hunters who shoot ground squirrels must learn the range of the Washington ground squirrel and how to identify them, said Madonna Luers, department spokeswoman in Spokane. Shooting the species is now prohibited.

And bats? The protected status covers all 16 species native to Washington, with one exception: The new rule allows bats to be captured or killed “when found in or immediately adjacent to a dwelling or other occupied building.”

Ever know somebody so good-looking that it got them into trouble?

Well, meet the California mountain king snake. The creature made the list of protected species because its range in Washington is very limited. And because it’s so beautiful - which makes it appealing to collectors, said state biologist Harriet Allen.

The Washington version of the king snake is found only in the pine and oak forests of the Columbia Gorge, where it makes a living eating other snakes as well as lizards, nestling birds, bird eggs and small mammals. It kills them by constriction.

King snakes can grow as long as 40 inches, but they’re shy around people. They’re active day and night, Allen says, but when the weather gets hot they may be more active at night.

The body of each snake is marked by rings of black and red and creamy, yellowish white, and people have been known to confuse them with coral snakes.

Allen says she doesn’t know how many king snakes have been captured in Washington, but she does know from reptile lovers that they’re desirable.

“All of the reptiles kind of fall through the cracks as (the regulations are) written now,” Allen said. “The bats came to our attention first as needing protection, because of vandalism at nesting sites.

“So we looked at other species, too, and the California king snake jumped out.”

Other snakes are not protected, Allen said, because “at this point we didn’t feel there were any others that vulnerable. But in the future, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: Ground squirrels protected