Smooth Green Snake
Ophedrys vernalis • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Opheodrys, Species: O. vernalis
North America, ranging from parts of southern Canada through the northern and eastern United States, extending west into the Great Plains and pockets in the southwest.
Look up Smooth Green Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Opheodrys, Species: O. vernalis
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern. Local populations can be vulnerable to habitat loss from agriculture, urban development, and pesticide use which reduces prey availability.
Physical Description
Bright uniform green dorsal coloration with a pale yellow or whitish belly. The head is distinct from the neck, eyes are large with round pupils, and the scales are smooth rather than keeled.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen pictured is an adult measuring approximately 45 cm. Adults typically range from 35 to 66 cm in total length.
Habitat
Found primarily in moist meadows, prairies, forest edges, clearings, and grassy areas near permanent water sources. Typically active on the ground or low-lying vegetation.
Diet & Feeding
Insectivorous, feeding heavily on soft-bodied insects and arthropods such as caterpillars, grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, and occasionally earthworms. They actively forage through vegetation.
Reproduction
Oviparous species. Females typically lay clutches ranging from 3 to 12 eggs in hidden, damp locations like rotting logs, beneath rocks, or underground burrows during summer.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern. Local populations can be vulnerable to habitat loss from agriculture, urban development, and pesticide use which reduces prey availability.
Cultural Significance
Acts as an important natural controller of insect populations in agricultural and natural grassland ecosystems.
Notable Features
Known for their brilliant green camouflage which makes them extremely difficult to spot among dense grass and foliage. They may turn bluish-grey after death or when preparing to shed.