One of the neighbor kids spotted this rough green snake peeking up from the base of an old fence at the edge of our lot. In fact, his sister was telling us that this is where she saw a snake a few weeks ago when he jumped back and said, “Snake!” I thought he was kidding, but then all three of us saw the snake’s amazingly green head. We watched it wind its way up the old fencepost, then into a privet, where it balanced easily on a very thin twig and hung out for a while.
I’m guessing this snake is a little over two feet long. The Audubon Guide to the Southeastern States describes the rough green snake as “nonaggressive; gracefully weaves through branches,” which I would have to agree with. (The guide also says these snakes swim well, a trait that went untested in our dry woods.) Rough green snakes eat grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, and spiders, and are not venomous.
If you see a rough green snake in your garden, please refrain from killing it. You’d only be indulging your irrational side, and there are much better ways to do that.
2 responses so far ↓
1 stew // Jul 3, 2008 at 9:11 pm
very cute little guy, isn’t he?
2 Iris // Jul 4, 2008 at 9:06 am
That Jolly Rancher green is excellent. More snakes, please!