Life Cycle of a Green Snake

Not every green-colored snake is a "green snake," and there are two North American species that have the name "green snake". The rough green snake is the most common and widespread.

  1. Range

    • Rough green snakes live in the southeast United States. Their range extends from Florida northward to Pennsylvania, westward to the edge of the Great Plains States, and southward into Texas and Louisiana.

    Habitat

    • Vegetation overhanging a creek may harbor green snakes.

      Rough green snakes frequent brushy areas of open woodlands. The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory notes that green snakes often climb brush that overhangs ponds and streams. The green color of these snakes makes them difficult to see among leafy vegetation.

    Food and Feeding.

    • Rough green snakes feed on grasshoppers, crickets and caterpillars. Rough green snakes are neither venomous nor constrictors, but instead swallow their prey alive.

    Seasonal Activity Cycles

    • Rough green snakes are active from April through September. During cooler months, they hibernate under the shelter of piled leaves or in the burrows of other animals.

    Reproduction

    • Rough green snakes mate in spring and lay eggs in June or July. There is no parental care. Eggs hatch in about two months, and the young are immediately on their own.