Smooth green snake

The smooth green snake (Opheodrys vernalis) is a species of North American nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is also referred to as the grass snake. It is a slender, "small medium" snake that measures 36–51 cm (14–20 in) as an adult. It gets its common name from its smooth dorsal scales, as opposed to the rough green snake, which has keeled dorsal scales. The smooth green snake is found in marshes, meadows, open woods, and along stream edges, and is native to regions of Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. A non-aggressive snake, it seldom bites and usually flees when threatened. It mates in late spring to summer, and females lay their eggs from June to September. The smooth green snake will often bob its head in order to mimic vegetation blowing in the wind.

Smooth green snake
Smooth green snake in a sand prairie
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Opheodrys
Species:
O. vernalis
Binomial name
Opheodrys vernalis
(Harlan, 1827)
Synonyms
  • Coluber vernalis
    Harlan, 1827
  • Chlorosoma vernalis
    Baird & Girard, 1853
  • Herpetodryas vernalis
    Hallowell, 1856
  • Cyclophis vernalis
    Günther, 1858
  • Liopeltis vernalis
    Cope, 1860
  • Contia vernalis
    Boulenger, 1894
  • Eurypholis vernalis
    Pope, 1935
  • Liochlorophis vernalis
    Oldham & H.M. Smith, 1991
  • Opheodrys vernalis
    Wallach et al., 2014
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.