Green Snake

I have a feeling that even people who aren’t fond of snakes can’t help feeling kindly towards a cute little snake of green.  I found this Rough Green Snake when I revisited the Sycamore that yielded so many caterpillars a couple of weeks ago.

It was caterpillars that I was actually looking for.  At the time of the snake discovery, I was taking a close look at this Drab Prominent caterpillar.

I lifted my eyes from the caterpillar and on a branch just a few feet away was the snake.  Green Snakes are insect eaters and hairless caterpillars are readily consumed.  The snake and I may have been looking in this tree for the same reason.

The Rough Green Snake is the only species of green snake likely to be in this area.  Even so, on the rare occasions that I find one of these snakes, I like to verify the ID by checking the scales on the snake’s back.  The scales of the Rough Green Snake are divided by a slight ridge.  The ridges align to form faint stripes running the length of the snake.  They also give the snake its rough feel that earned it its name.

This snake is typically found in the trees and is remarkably adept at moving about through the branches.  It must have remarkable balance and muscle control.

It moves along a narrow branch as if it were traversing level ground.

If it desires a higher elevation, it just lifts its head and goes up.

It’s like a snake mime hitting an invisible wall.

The head just continues to ascend.

Finally the snake connects with the petiole of a grape leaf and begins to slide its body along the narrow stem.

The diameter of the grape vine is smaller than that of the snake, but the snake proceeds along this new avenue without complication.

Up and away, the snake climbs out of my range.  

Green Snake

White Flowering Dogwood numbers dropped to almost nothing 20 years ago when disease swept through Blue Jay Barrens. Those that remained were granted immunity from cutting during my management activities and new trees began to gradually emerge. Each year shows an increase of blooms. I like to go around the field edges and give each dogwood a personal visit, just so I can keep up on their progress. Sometimes I find a little something extra in the boughs of the tree.

I’ve been trained to notice differences and when I’m in the field, I look for irregularities in line, shape, pattern and color. In this case, I quickly picked out the horizontal green lines in a space where lines were primarily vertical and brown. The result was a pleasant encounter with this pair of Rough Green Snakes.

I don’t run across these snakes nearly enough. This species is quite arboreal and is most likely to be found in the branches of a tree. I’m assuming that these are a female and male beginning whatever mating rituals are customary for Green Snakes. The eggs are typically laid in tree cavities and a clutch may contain eggs from several different females. I once saw a clutch of eggs in a hanging planter basket and suspect that old squirrel nests or other masses of vegetation caught in a tree might also make a suitable clutch site.

Even people who don’t like snakes should be able to warm up to these guys. The bright green coloration makes them look more like a child’s toy than a real snake. The maximum length is around 2.5 feet and these two were close to that limit. Each displayed some old scars picked up during their long lives.

The Rough Green Snake has raised keels that run down the center of the scales. This gives the snake a slightly rough feel. The Smooth Green Snake, found farther north in Ohio, lacks these keels.

Since I didn’t want to interrupt the mating activities, I purposely kept my distance from the snakes. The female had sensed my presence as soon as I stepped beneath the tree. She eventually tired of my attention and headed for a more elevated perch.

I left the two in peace, hoping that they would continue what they had begun. It would really be something to find some baby Green Snakes around here later on.