Discover the Largest Smooth Green Snake Ever Recorded

Like its name, the smooth green snake (Opheodrys vernalis) has fantastic green scales that shine brilliantly in the sunshine and quickly mix in with surrounding plant life. With its big round eyes and thin snout, the smooth green snake appears like it is constantly smiling. The motions of this slim snake are smooth and elegant and advise us that even the tiniest and most simple beings can be breathtaking in their own method. Smooth green snakes feed primarily on bugs and play a really essential function in insect control any place they live. Let’s take a better take a look at these lovely snakes, and discover the biggest smooth green snake ever tape-recorded!

What Does the Smooth Green Snake Look Like?

Smooth green snakes are elegant reptiles with a spectacular shade of green coloring their backs. Their stomaches are a charming shade of yellow or white that contrasts perfectly with the verdant scales on their backs. Like their name, smooth green snakes likewise have fragile and smooth dorsal scales that contribute to their lovely look. 

However, depending upon where a smooth green snake lives, it might not constantly be rather as green as you might anticipate. For example, smooth green snakes in Kansas typically display a bluish shade instead of the particular brilliant green coloring. Smooth green snakes in the southwestern areas of Texas are typically tinted with a light brown color. In northern Wisconsin, they have a charming bronze-toned color. 

In addition, child smooth green snakes are not born with that renowned brilliant green coloring. Instead, they are born with more of a bluish-gray, dull olive green, and even brown coloring. Baby smooth green snakes are likewise rather little, determining just 3 to 6.5 inches long! However, after their extremely first shed, these snakes reveal brilliant green scales much like their adult equivalents. After that, smooth green snakes can shed their skin every 4 to 5 weeks, providing lots of room for brand-new development!

What is the Largest Smooth Green Snake Ever Recorded?

The clinical category of smooth green snakes is Opheodrys vernalis. Opheodrys originated from Greek and implies “tree serpent”, while vernalis originates from Latin and implies “of springtime”. Quite the fitting name for such a vibrantly colored green snake! 

Upon maturating, these brilliantly colored snakes step in between 14 and 20 inches in length with slim and fragile frames. However, the longest smooth green snake ever tape-recorded was 26 inches long! 

Where Do Smooth Green Snakes Live?

Smooth green snakes are belonging to North America. They reside in different areas of the United States, northern Mexico, and Canada. They choose hanging out on the ground, especially in open locations near long-term water sources, such as along the edges of rivers and streams, marshes, and forest locations. However, they likewise spend much of their time in natural green locations where they can utilize their lovely green bodies as camouflage to keep them safe. In addition, smooth green snakes in some cases move their heads in a bobbing movement so that they appear like plants blowing in the wind! 

Smooth green snakes are cold-blooded reptiles, so they likewise spend much of their time in warmer locations where they can indulge in the sunlight on rocks and logs to remain warm. When the weather condition gets too cold for these snakes, they look for underground burrows and spend the winter season hibernating in big groups. They mate in the later months of spring and lay their eggs in the summer from June through September.

Are Smooth Green Snakes Dangerous?

No — smooth green snakes are not harmful at all! In reality, these vibrantly vibrant reptiles are non-aggressive, non-venomous, and extremely hardly ever bite. When they feel threatened, smooth green snakes will run away instead of battle. Sometimes they likewise produce a foul-smelling compound to discourage predators. Most of the time, nevertheless, these snakes count on their grassy-green camouflage bodies to keep them out of sight.

What Do Smooth Green Snakes Eat?

Smooth green snakes have eager vision and can pick up vibrations in their environments. With distinctively elastic ligaments in their jaws, these snakes can swallow their victim whole — even if it’s larger than the snake’s body! Insects, spiders, and other little bugs comprise most of a smooth green snake’s diet plan. They typically consume ants, worms, slugs, snails, spineless caterpillars, moths, and spiders.

Threats and Conservation Status

Smooth green snakes are hunted by bigger snakes, big birds like buzzards and hawks, and mammals like raccoons, foxes, and typical house cats. However, their brilliant green coloring assists them to remain camouflaged and concealed the majority of the time. In addition, their lithe bodies are extremely nimble and they can make fast leaves when they require to.

Currently, the wild populations of smooth green snakes are thought about healthy and steady. Unfortunately, there are numerous hazards that threaten their numbers and survival. Due to their striking color and calm temperament, smooth green snakes are typically gathered as animals. However, they do refrain from doing well in captivity and hardly ever make it through when drawn from the wild. In addition, smooth green snakes reside in little, separated populations, so industrial collection can eliminate their groups extremely rapidly. Furthermore, considering that bugs and other bugs comprise most of their diet plan, their numbers are decreasing since of the increased usage of pesticides. Smooth green snakes are likewise threatened by city advancement and environment damage of numerous kinds. 

Similar Species: The Rough Green Snake

There is another almost similar types of green snake in North America that is quickly puzzled for a smooth green snake: the rough green snake (Opheodrys aestivus). As you might have thought from their names, the most apparent difference in between these 2 snake types is the texture of their scales. The rough green snake has actually keeled or somewhat ridged scales, providing its body a rough look and texture. The smooth green snake, on the other hand, has smooth and even scales.

In addition to the texture of their scales, there are a couple of other differences that can help separate in between these 2 beautiful green-colored snakes. The rough green snake grows much bigger than the smooth green snake. Rough green snakes can in some cases determine over 45 inches in length — that is near two times the length of a smooth green snake! In addition, the rough green snake lives just in the southeastern United States. And, unlike smooth green snakes, rough green snakes are rather keen on climbing up and typically hang out hanging out in low plant life.

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