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Eastern Smooth Green Snake Size: 12 to 20" Coloration: Bright green with a pale yellow or white belly. Upper and lower lips are white. Occasionally brown. Hatchlings are dark green to bluish gray. No patterns, stripes, or spots. Description: Smooth scales. Very slender. Head is only slightly set apart from the body. Long tapering tail. Home: Throughout Michigan. Also found in south eastern Canada and New England south to North Carolina. Habitat: Meadows, grassy areas, fields along forest edge - usually damp areas near water. Lifestyle: Active, calm temperament - rarely biting when handled. Diurnal. Mainly terrestrial, but also a good climber. Very large numbers of individual hibernate together over the winter. Food: Insects, insect larvae, spiders Breeding: Egg laying occurs from June to August. Egg laying sites may be shared by many females. 3 - 12 eggs make up a clutch. The eggs are cylindrical in shape. The incubation period is between 4 - 30 days. (Eggs may be held in the oviduct for a longer period of time than in other snakes - about halfway through the development of the embryo - this is probably the reason for the shorter incubation periods). Defenses: When threatened, the snake will emit a musky secretion. Special Concerns: Because this snake's diet consists of insects, it is often negatively effected by insecticides. |
