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A slender rough green snake coiled on the ground.
Photo: MH Herpetology, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rough Green Snake

Opheodrys aestivus

A slender, harmless green snake of the southeastern United States that lives in shrubs and trees and eats insects and spiders.

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About the Rough Green Snake

Rough green snakes live across the southeastern United States, from southern New Jersey to the Florida Keys and west to Texas and northern Mexico. They climb in shrubs, trees and hedgerows near water and sleep coiled at the ends of branches. Their green color hides them well, and instead of biting, they flee into thick plants. They eat crickets, grasshoppers, other insects and spiders.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Opheodrys aestivus[1]
Size
Average about 95 cm (37 inches) for females and 89 cm (35 inches) for males.[1]
Lifespan
About 5 years on average, up to 8.[1]
Diet
Insectivore. Crickets, grasshoppers, other insects and spiders.[1]
Habitat
Trees, shrubs, hedgerows and fields near water.[1]
Where it lives
Southeastern United States, from southern New Jersey to the Florida Keys and west to Oklahoma, Texas and northern Mexico.[1]
Babies
3 to 12 soft-shelled eggs.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2007).[2]

Fun facts

  • Rough green snakes don't bite to defend themselves. They flee into thick plants and hide.[1]
  • Even the slightest movement of an insect's leg or antenna catches their eye.[1]
  • At night they sleep coiled at the far ends of branches.[1]

Vocabulary

camouflage
Colors or patterns that help an animal blend in with its surroundings.
insectivore
An animal that eats mostly insects.
hedgerow
A row of bushes or small trees along the edge of a field.
antenna
A thin feeler on an insect's head (plural: antennae).
ultraviolet
A kind of light from the sun that people can't see.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. “Opheodrys aestivus (rough green snake).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Opheodrys_aestivus/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Opheodrys aestivus.” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/63859/12722881 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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