Rick Owen photo.

Scientific name: Opheodrys aestivus carinatus

Description: Adult size is 22-32 inches (56-81 cm). The record is 45.4 inches (115.3 cm). A slender bright green snake with a cream to pale yellow belly. The belly color extends onto the chin and lips. (In death the green coloration changes to blue-gray.) There are 17 dorsal scale rows at midbody and the scales are strongly keeled. The pupils are round. Juveniles coloration is similar to adults, but not as brightlly colored. A distinguishing characteristic is the scale in the third row of dorsal scales opposite the seventh belly scale (counted back from the throat) is usually keeled.

Florida rough green snake: Left to right: Top of the head; underside of the head (chin and throat).

Florida rough green snake: Left to right: Side of the head; front (face view) of the head.

Range: In Florida, this snake occurs in the central and southern peninsula.

Habitat: Found in mixed hardwood and bottomland forest as well as hardwood hammocks. It is fairly abundant in the maritime forest and dunes meadows of Atlantic barrier islands. Because of its arboreal habits, it prefers densely leafed trees and shrubs, often at the edges of fields and around ponds.

Comments: . An arboreal snake, the rough green snake preys primarily on insects found on the leaves and stems of trees and shrubs. Its bright green color provides excellent camouflage in vegetation. When disturbed it responds by freezing and will sometimes sway to mimic the movement of the surrounding windblown foliage. Eggs are laid in mid to late summer under objects in damp areas. The 3-12 hatchlings are 6-8.5 inches (15-21.5 cm) long.

Comparison with other species: There are no other bright green snakes in Florida.

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