Opheodrys

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Opheodrys

Opheodrys aestivus

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Opheodrys Fitzinger, 1843

Opheodrys is a genus of small colubrid snakes commonly referred to as green snakes. The genus consists of two distinct species with five recognized subspecies.

1 Species
2 Range
3 Description
4 Behavior & Diet
5 In captivity
6 References

[edit] Species

Rough Green Snake, Opheodrys aestivus
- Northern Rough Green Snake, Opheodrys aestivus aestivus (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Florida Rough Green Snake, Opheodrys aestivus carinatus (Grobman, 1984)
Smooth Green Snake, Opheodrys vernalis
- Western Smooth Green Snake, Opheodrys vernalis blanchardi (Grobman, 1941)
- Eastern Smooth Green Snake, Opheodrys vernalis vernalis (Harlan, 1827)
- Opheodrys vernalis borealis (Grobman, 1992)

[edit] Range

Green snakes are found throughout the United States, southern Canada and northern Mexico.

[edit] Description

Green snakes are so named because they are typically solid green in color with a cream colored or yellow underside. They are thin bodied snakes that rarely exceed 90 cm (around 36 inches) in length. They have large eyes and blunt shaped heads.

[edit] Behavior & Diet

Green snakes are often found in dense, low lying vegetation near a permanent water source. They rely on their color for camouflage and will usually attempt to escape if threatened. Their primary diet is soft bodied arthropods, including crickets, spiders, moths, butterflies, and grasshoppers. Green snakes are oviparous.

[edit] In captivity

Green snakes are often kept in captivity. They hold no particular conservation status, so specimens caught in the wild are readily available in the exotic pet trade. In the northern areas of their range, O. vernalis is more commonly sold, and in the south O. aestivus is more commonly sold. Some states restrict the ownership of species that occur naturally, even if they are not threatened or endangered. For example, Georgia prohibits the ownership of some indigenous species, regardless of its origin.^[1] Captive breeding is not commonplace. They make relatively good captives, but can be prone to stress if not kept in a naturalistic vivarium that makes them feel secure. Their insect diet makes them attractive to reptile keepers that do not wish to deal with a rodent eating snake.