# Rough Green Snake (*Opheodrys aestivus*) Rough Green Snakes are slender and bright green! They are excellent at climbing and love to hide in trees. - **Category:** [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/reptile) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 27 - **Habitat:** Woodlands and gardens - **Also known as:** Eastern Green Snake, Green Snake ![Rough Green Snake](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425874/objects/5696.jpg) ## Appearance The Rough Green Snake is a slender, vibrant emerald green snake with a bright yellow or cream-colored belly. Its distinguishing feature is its keeled scales, giving it a slightly rough, textured appearance that helps it blend into foliage. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Squamata - **Order:** Serpentes - **Family:** Colubridae - **Genus:** Opheodrys ## Interesting facts - Despite their 'rough' name, they are gentle and rarely bite! - Rough Green Snakes are so slender, they are sometimes called 'vine snakes'! - They hunt with head raised, scanning for prey like a tiny periscope! - When stressed, their green skin can temporarily dull to brown or black! ## Special abilities - **Branch Balancer:** Rough Green Snake has a lightweight body and prehensile tail that helps them deftly navigate branches and twigs. - **Insect Magnet:** Rough Green Snake can accurately snatch flying and crawling insects because of its quick strikes and specialized vision. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 55-80 cm - **Weight:** 0.01-0.025 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-8 years - **Speed:** 3 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-14 - **Incubation:** 35-70 days ## Diet & Feeding They mainly feast on small insects and arthropods, helping control garden pests! - **Primary Foods:** crickets, grasshoppers, spiders, caterpillars - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Argiope aurantia*) — A primary food source in its arboreal habitat. - **Eaten by:** [Red-tailed Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-tailed-hawk) (*Buteo jamaicensis*) — Vigilant raptors often prey on camouflaged snakes. - **Eaten by:** [North American Racer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/north-american-racer) (*Coluber constrictor*) — Larger, faster snakes will occasionally consume them. - **Eats:** [Fall Field Cricket](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fall-field-cricket) (*Gryllus pennsylvanicus*) — A common and abundant insect prey item. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. ## Collections - [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles) - [Reptiles & Amphibians](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles-and-amphibians) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Look but don’t touch. Keep a safe distance and wash hands after exploring. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Rough Green Snake? Compare the full body pattern, build, head markings and tail. Color can shift with age and lighting. Rules of thumb about triangular heads or round pupils aren't a reliable way to tell whether a snake is venomous. Snake Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Rough Green Snake? 55-80 cm ### How much does Rough Green Snake weigh? 0.01-0.025 kg ### How long does Rough Green Snake live? 5-8 years ### How fast can Rough Green Snake move? 3 km/h ### What does Rough Green Snake eat? They mainly feast on small insects and arthropods, helping control garden pests! ### Where is Rough Green Snake usually found? Woodlands and gardens ### How does Rough Green Snake hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Ashley River Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ashley-river-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Convent and Academy of the Visitation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/convent-and-academy-of-the-visitation) — Alabama, US · Campus - [Houston Arboretum and Nature Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/houston-arboretum-and-nature-center) — Texas, US · Botanical Garden - [Kirk Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kirk-park) — Virginia, US · Park - [Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (Charleston, South Carolina)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/magnolia-plantation-and-gardens-charleston-south-carolina) — South Carolina, US · Botanical Garden - [Paseo Arts District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/paseo-arts-district) — Oklahoma, US · Historic District [View all places to see Rough Green Snake](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/rough-green-snake) ## More Reptiles - [Pond Slider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pond-slider) (*Trachemys scripta*) - [Western Fence Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-fence-lizard) (*Sceloporus occidentalis*) - [Common Five-lined Skink](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-five-lined-skink) (*Plestiodon fasciatus*) - [Desert Spiny Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/desert-spiny-lizard) (*Sceloporus magister*) --- Source: [Rough Green Snake: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rough-green-snake)