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Rough Green Snake

Family: ColubridaeOpheodrys aestivusPhoto © Animal-World Courtesy David Brough

   The beautiful Rough Green Snake is not only lovely to look at, but is so very gentle that it is a pleasure to handle!

   The Rough Green Snake is and excellent climbers and very agile, but they are also quite wiggly. They never display a bad temper and rarely if ever, attempt to bite. Despite their pleasant temperment they are a more difficult snake to maintain in captivity, and are suggested for a more advanced snake keeper.

For more Information on keeping Snakes see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Herptile

Geographic Distribution Opheodrys aestivus Data provided by GBIF.org Scientific Classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Colubridae

Distribution:    The Rough Green Snakes are found in North America. Specifically they are found in the eastern part of the United States; Connecticut to Florida, the Gulf States, and the Mississippi Valley to Kansas, Illinois and Ohio.

Description:   The Rough Green Snake is slender with keeled scales and a very long tail that tapers sharply to a pointed tip. They can reach up to 28" (71 cm). Void of patterning, this snake's coloring is iridescent leaf green on top with whitish to yellow to yellowish green underneath.

Feeding:   They should be feed live insects once or twice a week. Good insects to feed are crickets and moths. Soft-bodied insect larvae such as waxworms, butterworms, and mealworms are also good choices. Fresh water in a shallow dish should always be available.

Environment:   The rough green snake is an excellent climber and likes an arboreal type setting, so a vertical or semi-vertical tree limb with plant vining is great. The terrarium should be at least a 10"x14"x10". See Basic Reptile and Amphibian Care for more information.

Temperature and Lighting requirements:    They do well in 70° to 80° F with moderate humidity. Lighting requirements are minimal, they do not need full spectrum lighting though it is good for long term maintenance as it helps them feel good. You can use a substrate heating device for basic heating. For additional heat, you can add a full spectrum incandescent daytime bulb and a blacklight bulb or red incandescent bulb for nighttime heating. Be sure you use a thermometer so you don't let the terrarium become overheated!
   For more detailed information see the Basic Reptile and Amphibian Care: Housing.

Breeding/Reproduction:    These snakes lay four to twelve very elongated eggs. They will be deposited under a flat stone or a log, usually at the edge of the woods, where it meets a meadow. The young can be a grayish green to a pale delicate green at first, becoming the beautiful iridescent leaf green as they mature.

Availability:   Though the Rough Green Snake is generally available, they can be difficult to maintain in captivity. This is thought to be because we don't fully understand their natural diet. A variety of foods is probably best.

Author: Clarice Brough, CRS

Lastest Comments on Rough Green Snake View all 34 comments on Rough Green Snake Add Your Comment

Anonymous - 2012-01-30 Hey how come there is 34 comments on this snake? Click For Replies (1) Charlie Roche - 2012-01-30 Guess it must be a common pet or people have many quesions on it. Reply

Anonymous - 2011-10-12 Snakes are cool! Reply

Rebecca - 2011-09-05 Hi, my sister is watching my baby and said that he isn't doing so well. Usually he will squirm when you first pick him up then settle down after a bit, but now she says he was literally lifeless when she picked him up. We have a branch, and a hiding rock, that he stays up in and he's about a foot and a half. We always have a food supplies for him. She says he looks fat on the belly but skinny on the back. I've had him for a little over a year and he's never done anything like this before. I don't want to lose my baby, what do i DO!!! Click For Replies (1) Toby Jungle - 2011-09-06 Could it be something simple like he is molting? Reply

Juhi das - 2011-08-10 I also wanted a rough green snake at home. Because my mom is just like that because I love it . She is not snake something more than that. Rough green snake is really lovely and the colour is also super. Click For Replies (1) Charlie Roche - 2011-08-10 When I was 10 years old, a boy in school who was very big and very mean and also 14 and in 6th grade put a live snake down my back. I am still very frightened of them. I am sure your mom loves you and would not want you to not have one cuz you love them --- Maybe you could compromise. They can be neat and people enjoy them but a Bearded Dragon is really cool and they are affectionate and so is an Iguana. You just sound like an intelligent person and I thought you might like something a little more in line with your intelligence. Something a little more challenging. Good luck though ... Reply

India - 2011-08-04 I have been really wanting a snake for ages now but my mum doesnt want one in the house. Even if I pay for it and everything! But I have a feeling that I can persuade her to let me have one for my birthday next month. The snake I have been really wanting is a rough green snake as my fave colour is green. They don't grow very big and they don't have a huge life span. I love snakes to pieces and have held a few before. My friend has got a corn snake and I am always holding hers. I have researched rough gren snakes on the internet a lot recently and most of the pages I have been on have said that they have a good temprement and like being held. But the odd few say that they aren't good pets to hold. And that has put me off wanting one. I love holding snakes and I know they need their space too and not to be holding them all the time. Can anyone give me some advice please!? Click For Replies (1) Charlie Roche - 2011-08-04 Is there another place you can keep the snake besides in the house? Can you make an agreement with your mom that the snake will never come out of your room and you will take responsibility for cleaning your room? Can you promise your mom , the snake will never get out except when you are holding it? I am not sure if you are just all for a snake but maybe you and your mom might like something better like a beadered dragon lizard. They come in a variety of colors and can be quite beautiful. They have more of a personality and love their human owners. They like being around their human owners. Just a thought. Reply

Jesse - 2010-05-20 I am wondering if anyone can tell me what the difference is between rough and smooth green snakes? I think the one I have might be rough. I live in Arkansas and they are supposed to be more common here than the smooth ones. I found her (think it's a her) two weeks ago, and she ate a grasshopper on the second day. I have her in a clear tank that used to have a hamster in it, and the bottom is covered with potting soil and a few small plants. I also have a 40watt day, and 40 watt night lamp, and keep a small dish of water and mist daily. Is there anything else I need to do to keep her healthy. I tried keeping these types of snakes (we called them grass snakes) since I was 11. I'm 31 now and this is the first one that would actually eat, so that's a good start I guess. She's about 2 feet long so she's mature. Click For Replies (1) melanie - 2011-05-02 The difference is the scales. If the snake feels rough, then its a rough snake. If it feels smooth, no roughness at all, then its a smooth snake, and being about 2 ft long it could be either. Reply

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