true wild life: September 2011

commonly referred to as green snakes. the genus consists of two distinct species with five recognized subspecies. As theihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifr common names imply, the Rough Green Snhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifake has keeled dorsal scales, whereas the Smooth Green Snake has smooth dorsal scales.Species
Rough Green Snake, Opheodrys aestivus
Northern Rough Green Snake, Opheodrys aestivus aestivus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Florida Rough Green Snake, Opheodrys aestivus carinatus Grobman, 1984
Smooth Green Snake, Opheodrys vernalis
Western Smooth Green Snake, Opheodrys vernalis blanchardi Grobman, 1941
Eastern Smooth Green Snake, Opheodrys vernalis vernalis (Harlan, 1827)
Opheodrys vernalis borealis Grobman, 1992
The genus Opheodrys also includes two Asian species. O. herminae is endemic to Japan, and O. major is endemic to Central/South China, Taiwan, N. Vietnam and Laos.

Sakashima Green Snake, Opheodrys herminae (Boettger, 1895)
Greater Green Snake, Opheodrys major (Günther, 1858) = Cyclophis major Günther, 1858

The green snakes

The green snakes is smallGeographic range
Green snakes are found throughout the United States, southern Canada, northern Mexico, Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.
Description
Green snakes are so named because they are typically solid green in color dorsally, with a cream-colored or yellow underside. They are thin-bodied snakes that rarely exceed 90 cm (around 36 inches) in length. They have large eyes and blunt shaped heads.

Behavior and diet
Green snakes are often found in dense, low lying vegetation near a permanent water source. They have been known to follow human activity. They rely on their color for camouflage and will usually attempt to escape if threatened. Their primary diet is soft bodied arthropods, including crickets, spiders, moths, butterflies, and grasshoppers. Green snakes are oviparous.

References
^ Wright, A.H. and A.A. Wright. 1957. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Comstock. Ithaca and London.