Critter of the Week: Rough green snake

Species: Rough green snake

Scientific name: Opheodrys aestivus aestivus

Nicknames: Grass snake

Claim to fame: This is the bright green snake that is a common resident of Ozarks woodlands and other types of dense vegetation near water. These non-venomous snakes feed almost entirely on insects, which provide a benefit to humans.

Species status: Rough green snakes are common throughout the southern two-thirds of the state. Populations appear to be relatively stable, although numbers have been known to experience occasional declines during exceptionally dry times when water and food sources become less abundant.

First discovered: The first scientific description of the rough green snake was written by the famed naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1766.

Family matters: Rough green snakes belong to the reptile family Colubridae, a collection of species commonly referred to as the non-venomous snakes. Within this grouping is the genus Opheodrys — the green snakes. This genus is comprised of two species; the rough green snake and the smooth green snake (Opheodrys vernalis). Herpetologists have divided rough green snakes into several sub-species. Opheodrys aestivus aestivus is the one that resides in Missouri.

Length: 22 inches to 32 inches

Diet: Caterpillars, grasshoppers, crickets, dragonflies, other insects and spiders form the bulk of a green snake’s diet.

Weight: Not available

Distinguishing characteristics: Rough green snakes are slender and light green in color. The belly is yellow or cream-colored and devoid of any markings. Their solid green coloring provides excellent camouflage in settings of abundant vegetation.

Life span: Rough green snakes have been known to live up to 15 years in captivity, but their lifespan in the wild is probably somewhat shorter.

Habitat: Rough green snakes are usually found near water in various types of dense vegetation (primarily in trees of varying sizes) that provide a green backdrop for its hunting activities.

Life cycle: Mating takes place during fall and spring. In the case of fall mating, the female will hold the eggs inside her body until the following summer. Eggs are deposited under in think leaf litter, under flat stones, beneath logs or in some other protected location. Females lay between one and 10 eggs. More than one female sometimes lays eggs in the same location. Eggs hatch in a little over a month (usually in August or early September). As is the case with virtually all reptiles, no parental care is provided to young rough green snakes by their parents. (Members of the reptile order Crocodylia — crocodiles, alligators and caimans — are the only reptiles that provide parental care to their young after they are born.)