Opheodrys
Genus of snakes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Opheodrys is a genus of small to medium-sized nonvenomous colubrid snakes commonly referred to as green snakes. In North America the genus consists of two distinct species. As their common names imply, the rough green snake has keeled dorsal scales, whereas the smooth green snake has smooth dorsal scales.
| Opheodrys | |
|---|---|
| Opheodrys aestivus | |
| Opheodrys vernalis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Colubrinae |
| Genus: | Opheodrys Fitzinger, 1843 |
| Synonyms | |
|
Chlorosoma, Phyllophilophis,[1] Liochlorophis | |
Taxonomy
The genus Opheodrys at one time included two Asian species: O. herminae, which is endemic to Japan, and O. major, which is endemic to Central/South China, Taiwan, N. Vietnam, and Laos. These were removed from the genus by Cundall in 1981[2]
- Opheodrys herminae (Boettger, 1895) = Ptyas herminae (Boettger, 1895) – Sakashima green snake[3]
- Opheodrys major (Günther, 1858) = Ptyas major (Günther, 1858) – greater green snake[4]
Subspecies
The following subspecies of Opheodrys are no longer recognized by ITIS:[5]
- Opheodrys aestivus aestivus (Linnaeus, 1766) – northern rough green snake
- Opheodrys aestivus carinatus Grobman, 1984 – Florida rough green snake
- Opheodrys vernalis blanchardi Grobman, 1941 – western smooth green snake
- Opheodrys vernalis borealis Grobman, 1992 – northern smooth green snake
- Opheodrys vernalis vernalis (Harlan, 1827) – eastern smooth green snake.
However, as of May 2023, The Reptile Database still recognizes the subspecies O. aestivus carinatus in addition to the nominotypical subspecies O. a. aestivus.[6]
Species
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The following two species are recognized as being valid.[5]
| Image | Species | Common name |
|---|---|---|
| Opheodrys aestivus
(Linnaeus, 1766) |
rough green snake | |
_(27402589353).jpg) |
Opheodrys vernalis
(Harlan, 1827) |
smooth green snake |
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Opheodrys.
Geographic range
Green snakes of the genus Opheodrys are found in the United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico.[7]
Description
Habitat
Green snakes are often found in dense, low lying vegetation near a permanent water source.[9]
Behavior
Green snakes have been known to follow human activity. They rely on their color for camouflage and will usually attempt to escape if threatened.
Diet
Their primary diet is soft-bodied arthropods, including crickets, spiders, moths, butterflies, and grasshoppers.[9]
