(Opheodrys vernalis)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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NatureServe | N5 - Secure S4 - Apparently Secure |
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Minnesota | not listed Species in Greatest Conservation Need |
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Description |
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Adults can be from 12″ to 24″ in length, though they are usually no more than 20″ long. The scales are smooth, not keeled. |
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Size |
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14″ to 20″ |
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Similar Species |
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This is the only bright green snake found in Minnesota. |
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Habitat |
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Grassy areas: meadows, prairies, savannas, and woodland edges |
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Biology |
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Behavior |
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Lifespan |
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Unknown, but presumed 4 to 10 years |
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Life Cycle |
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Food |
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Mostly soft-bodies insects, especially grasshoppers, crickets, and caterpillars, but also grubs, worms, and spiders. |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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1/21/2023 | ||||
Occurrence |
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Widespread in Minnesota but in scattered populations |
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Taxonomy |
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Class | Reptilia (reptiles) | ||
Superorder | Lepidosauria | ||
Order | Squamata (snakes and lizards) | ||
Suborder | Serpentes (snakes) | ||
Infraorder | Alethinophidia | ||
Superfamily | Colubroidea | ||
Family |
Colubridae (colubrid snakes) | ||
Subfamily |
Colubrinae | ||
Genus |
Opheodrys (green snakes) | ||
This species was formerly classified as Opheodrys vernalis and contained three subspecies. The genus Opheodrys contained only two species. A study of the genus by Oldham and Smith in 1991 found significant categorical differences between the two species that suggest divergent evolution. The author separated this species into its own genus, Liochlorophis. Crother in 2000 rejected the split. An analysis of the available evidence by Walley in 2003 supported the split. The same analysis rejected recognition of the three subspecies. Most print and online sources continue to refer to this species by its former classification, and consider Liochlorophis vernalis a synonym. The use of the genus Liochlorophis, though appropriate, has fallen out of usage. |
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Subordinate Taxa |
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Synonyms |
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Liochlorophis vernalis |
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Common Names |
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grass snake smooth green snake smooth greensnake |
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Visitor Photos |
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Share your photo of this reptile. |
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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption. |
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Jeff LeClere |
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Keith Granby |
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seen this little snake crossing the driveway |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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Smooth Green Snake Nick Scobel |
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About
Opheodrys vernalis |
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Smooth Greensnake (Opheodrys vernalis) Mike Day |
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Opheodrys vernalis Todd Pierson |
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About
Smooth Greensnake |
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Visitor Videos |
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Share your video of this reptile. |
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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link. |
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Dan W. Andree |
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"Smooth Green Snake" A quick look Nov 2, 2023 |
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About
I was out on a prairie area and noticed a movement in the grass off to the right side of me. I looked and a green snake was down in the grasses. A hard angle I had to twist around slowly and stand twisted to film it for a short time before it quickly moved out of sight. The snake wasn't very big maybe around 15-18 inches in length. |
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Other Videos |
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Western Smooth Green Snake (Colubridae: Opheodrys vernalis blanchardi) Locomotion Carl Barrentine |
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About
Published on Jul 22, 2012 Photographed at Fort Mandan, Washburn, North Dakota (20 July 2012). |
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Smooth Green Snake head start Daily Reptile News |
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About
Published on Aug 31, 2012 Official Ban Stupid Not Snakes shirts are available at the DRN gear link on the right side bar of the website. All proceeds help DRN to grow. All these stories and more In The BG: Frequently Asked Questions: 1- Where do you find all this reptile news? 2- Why is your reptile news always doom and gloom? 3- Do you actually think you are helping the reptile hobby? 4- Will you promote my site, channel, business exc exc? I have been providing the daily reptile news for several years now. I started it with Foot Hill Reptiles in 11/2006. When I sold FHR I started foothillherps.com and continued to provide the news on the forum. In January 2010 I started providing it via you tube as well as the FHH forum. In February 2010 we went to high definition coverage of the important daily news as it pertains to reptiles and amphibians. On March 15th, 2010 dailyreptilenews.com debuted as your #1 source for Daily Reptile News. Twitter Friend me on Face Book The Reptivlog |
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Snakes of PA: Smooth green snake - timesleader.com timesleadervideo |
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About
Uploaded on Nov 25, 2008 Outdoors reporter Tom Venesky and naturalist Rick Koval introduce viewers to the smooth green snake, snake number seven in "Snakes of Luzerne County." n snake. For more videos, visit timesleader.com. |
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Eastern Smooth Green Snake Flaxalf |
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About
Uploaded on Oct 12, 2011 Found quite a few of these awesome little snakes in the yard this summer. |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this reptile. |
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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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TMJacobson 9/7/2021 |
Location: Lake Bronson State Park We saw a smooth green snake in Lake Bronson State Park’s Two Rivers Campground on Tuesday, September 7, 2021. |
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Sarah and Claire Fritsch 4/30/2021 |
Location: Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge drive |
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Keith Granby 9/12/2017 |
Location: Cass County seen this little snake crossing the driveway |
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Jeff LeClere 2006 |
Location: Pope County |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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