Smooth Green Snake

Opheodrys vernalis

Venom Status:

Non Venomous

 

Characteristics:

Adult at 15 to 24 inches. Slender and leaf green (grayish or yellowish in some populations) except immediately before shedding when it may be duller, or after death when it is bluish. Yellow, white, or pale green belly. Predominantly terrestrial. Scales are smooth. Oviparous. Eggs have a curiously shortened incubation period, hatching in from 4 to 24 days. Hatchlings are duller than adults. Populations are disjunct and this snake is now rare in many areas where once common.

 

Unique Features:

Non-keeled leaf green scales will identify this little snake.

 

Habitat and Diet:

Predominantly terrestrial. Often found beneath surface debris and trash in meadows, pastures, and edge situations. May climb into shrubs occasionally. Primarily feeds on insects

 

Geographic Range:

AL, VA, RI, NY, NH, VT, CT, IN, ME, MD, MA, MN, TX, CO, MI, MT, ID, KS, MO, NE, NJ, UT, IA, WY, NM, ND, OH, WI, SD, PA