Photo of the Month

This site was created by students in the herpetology class at Towson University.  Site last updated: 05/21/07.

Acknowledgements: Herb Harris - Range Maps;  Mark Tegges - Photography; Dan Lapascha & Gigi Forester - TU Herpetology Logo

Rough green snake

Description

The rough green snake is slender, with an adult length of 22 to 32 inches.  Named for its bright green unpatterned dorsum and keeled scales, the rough green snake has a very long tail, often more than 1/3 its entire length.  The venter is a light yellow or green, the anal plate is divided, and there are 17 scale rows at mid-body.  The rough green snake is similar in appearance to the smooth green snake, Opheodrys vernalis.

Habitat

Opheodrys aestivus is usually found in small trees or bushes in moist habitats like marshes, lakes, or streams.  It is more arboreal than the smooth green snake and prefers densely leafed and covered microhabitats.  The rough green snake hunts insects, spiders, and other soft invertebrates by moving slowly through branches and leaves.

Breeding

Mating occurs in spring, and females lay 3 to 12 very long and slender, thin-shelled eggs in June or July.  The female deposits the eggs under a flat rock, a log, or in tree cavities that may be some distance from the ground.  Sometimes, several females will lay eggs in the same nest.  The eggs hatch in August or September and will reach adult size within 2 years.

Distribution in Maryland

Range map adapted from Harris, 1975. 

Links

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Opheodrys_aestivus.html

http://www.uga.edu/srel/rough_green_snake.htm

http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/herpdist/species/op_aestivu.html