Lots of snakes around the area this year during our field surveys. Luckily all the snakes I’ve almost stepped on so far don’t fall into the “poop my pants” category, a category which is pretty much solely reserved for rattlesnakes and copperheads.
Found this little guy hanging on a greenbriar vine near a nice wetland.
Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus)
The snake is bright green above and has a yellowish belly, affording it excellent camouflage in green vegetation. It grows up to 46 inches in length and is very thin. The Rough Green Snake ranges throughout the Southeastern United States, from Kansas and Texas east to New Jersey and south to Florida. It is absent from the higher elevations of the Appalachian Mountains. It is also found in northeastern Mexico, including the state of Tamaulipas and eastern Nuevo León. Its preferred habitat is moist meadows and woodlands, often near water. It is highly arboreal, frequently found climbing in low vegetation, and is also a good swimmer. However it is often found on the ground as well. Unlike many snakes, it is largely diurnal. Its diet consists mostly of insects and other terrestrial arthropods, but some snails and tree frogs are eaten as well. This snake is not a constrictor–most prey are grabbed and simply swallowed alive. The Rough Green Snake is docile, often allowing close approach by humans, and seldom bites.
That’s a nice snake. The littlest fellow begs for a snake, but after our last two garter snakes, my answer has always been no.