Smooth Green Snake
Encyclopedia
The smooth green snake (Opheodrys vernalis) is a non-venomous North American colubrid
. It is also referred to as the grass snake.
, unlike those of the rough green snake. When a smooth green snake is first born, its scales are a different color than when it ages. It can be olive green, blue-gray, or even brown when it is first born, and turn its characteristic green after its skin sheds for the first time. Typical for a non-venomous snake, its eyes are large and round. It uses its tongue, red with a black end, by flicking it in and out of its mouth to "smell" what is around it.
region. The range spreads through northeastern Canada
, west to Saskatchewan
, and south through Illinois
and Virginia
. It can also be found in other areas such as Wyoming
, New Mexico
, Iowa
, Missouri
, Colorado
, Teas, and northern Mexico
.
, great blue heron
, rough-legged buzzard
, bears, raccoons, foxes, and the common house cat
. Humans also find these snakes in the wild and keep them for pets.The smooth green snake population is also declining due to the use of pesticides, as well as destruction of habitats.
During months when the weather is warmer, the snake tends to be active; while in the winter months, when the weather is cool, it hibernates in groups. Ant hills and rodent burrows are utilized during hibernation as part-time homes. The snake is usually active during the day, but during warmer months, it can also be found at night.
Colubrid
A colubrid is a member of the snake family Colubridae. This broad classification of snakes includes about two-thirds of all snake species on earth. The earliest species of the snake family date back to the Oligocene epoch. With 304 genera and 1,938 species, Colubridae is the largest snake family...
. It is also referred to as the grass snake.
Description
The smooth green snake is slender. Its size is classified as a "small medium" snake, reaching to 36–51 cm as an adult. The largest smooth green snake was measured as being 66 cm (26 in) long. It is uniform light green on its back, with a yellow or white belly, and has smooth dorsal scalesDorsal scales
In snakes, the dorsal scales are the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, but do not include the ventral scales.When counting dorsal scales, numbers are often given for three points along the body, for example 19:21:17...
, unlike those of the rough green snake. When a smooth green snake is first born, its scales are a different color than when it ages. It can be olive green, blue-gray, or even brown when it is first born, and turn its characteristic green after its skin sheds for the first time. Typical for a non-venomous snake, its eyes are large and round. It uses its tongue, red with a black end, by flicking it in and out of its mouth to "smell" what is around it.
Subspecies
- Eastern smooth green snake, Opheodrys vernalis vernalis (HarlanRichard HarlanRichard Harlan was an American naturalist, zoologist, physicist and paleontologist....
, 1827) - Western smooth green snake, Opheodrys vernalis blanchardi Grobman, 1941
- Northern smooth green snake, Opheodrys vernalis borealis Grobman, 1992
Geographic range
The smooth green snake is only native to the NearcticNearctic
The Nearctic is one of the eight terrestrial ecozones dividing the Earth's land surface.The Nearctic ecozone covers most of North America, including Greenland and the highlands of Mexico...
region. The range spreads through northeastern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, west to Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, and south through Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It can also be found in other areas such as Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Teas, and northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Threats
It is hunted by a good amount of predators, including the red-tailed hawkRed-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
, great blue heron
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
, rough-legged buzzard
Rough-legged Buzzard
The Rough-legged Buzzard , called the Rough-legged Hawk in North America, is a medium-large bird of prey. It is found in Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Eurasia during the breeding season and migrates south for the winter.The species exhibits a wide variety of plumage patterns...
, bears, raccoons, foxes, and the common house cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
. Humans also find these snakes in the wild and keep them for pets.The smooth green snake population is also declining due to the use of pesticides, as well as destruction of habitats.
Conservation status
The snake is of least concern in terms of conservation, but the concern is increasing in the U.S.Habitat
The snake can be found in many different habitats, including marshes, meadows, the edges of streams, and open woods. It prefers to be on the ground, in opens areas without a lot of shrubs. During hibernation, the smooth green snake looks for burrows, ant hills, and other dug-out underground areas, normally gathering in large numbers. It prefers moist habitats and areas near a permanent water source, usually staying in green areas for camouflage. Enjoying warmth, it likes to lay on rocks and logs, also using them for hiding.Behavior
Smooth green snakes rely greatly on the environment for camouflage in order to protect themselves from predators. If threatened, a smooth green snake will usually flee. They are docile snakes, they seldom bite and they usually allow humans to come close. If provoked, they can secrete a substance from its anal gland, causing a foul smell. When handled by humans, it usually shows exited behavior and calms down after wrapping itself around a finger. When it hunts, it turns its head from side to side, finding prey with its tongue and an organ on the roof of it's mouth that interprets chemical signals. It has no ears, relying on vibrations to figure out its surroundings. Also, the snake has no eyelids, but its sight is relatively strong over short distances. Due to stretchy ligaments in its jaw, it can swallow prey whole, even those that are larger than its own body diameter. It can shed its skin as often as every 4 to 5 weeks, allowing for growth.During months when the weather is warmer, the snake tends to be active; while in the winter months, when the weather is cool, it hibernates in groups. Ant hills and rodent burrows are utilized during hibernation as part-time homes. The snake is usually active during the day, but during warmer months, it can also be found at night.