· These small, bright green snakes (with whitish bellies)
camouflage well into their grassy habitats. As their name implies, these snakes
are smooth to the touch and can grow to 2 feet long, though immature
individuals are much smaller. Lacking venom, these snakes are harmless to
humans or larger animals that share the habitat with them.
·
Smooth green snakes are found from northern Canada down to the southern
United States and even into northern Mexico. There are some populations in the
western United States, including Wyoming and New Mexico.
·
This species is declining due to habitat destruction and pesticide use.
Some populations have been completely eradicated.
·
Smooth green snakes occupy a wide range of habitats, though they depend
on moist, grassy areas in prairies, marshes or near lakes. They will occupy
forests if conditions are right. While they spend most of their time on the
ground, they will hide in small bushes or slither beneath rocks or logs.
·
These solitary snakes are active in warmer
months, they hibernate in groups (including other snake species) during the
winter, using anthills or rodent burrows as temporary homes.
· Though diurnal (active during the day), smooth green
snakes can be found in the evenings during warmer months.
· These snake breed annually, resulting in eggs being laid
in the early summer and hatching a few months later. As many as a dozen eggs
will be laid at once, deposited in shallow burrows or under rocks or logs.
(Females can retain the eggs in their bodies, keeping them warm and safe from
predators.) Once the eggs are laid, the female offers no more parental care.
·
Lacking venom, smooth green snakes capture
prey with quick strikes.
· An ectothermic (cold-blooded) species, smooth green
snakes rely on smell, vision and ground vibrations to locate prey. They
communicate with one another using chemical and tactile clues.
· When attacked by a predator, smooth green snakes can emit
a foul-smelling fluid