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Keeled-scaled Green Snake
- Colouration
- Uniform bright (leaf) green above; beneath bright yellow. (While the colour of the back matches that of the succeeding species, the abdomen presents a different hue, owing to the decidedly yellowish tinge--that of the allied species beng white, or greenish-white.)
- Dimensions
- The measurements taken are of a fairly large specimen from Gainesville, Florida.
- Distribution
- Although widely distributed this reptile does not range so far north as the other green snake. Its habitat is from southern New Jersey southward through Florida and westward to the Mississippi in the northern portion of its range. In the South, it extends westward to California. It occurs in northern Mexico.
- Habits
- The Southern Green Snake is a climbing species, frequenting bushes and low trees. Like the green snake of the North, it is very inoffensive in habits and the greater number of specimens cannot be induced to bite.
Slender in form, with very long and gradually tapering tail. The scales are distinctly keeled.
Total Length . . . . . 33 inches.
Length of Tail . . . . . 12 1/2 inches.
Greatest Diameter . . . . .7/16 inches.
Width of Head . . . . . 3/8 inches.
Length of Head . . . . . 3/4 inches.
With specimens from the Eastern and Central States, the tail is from one-third to one-half the total length of the snake. Those from the extreme West have much shorter tails.
This snake is insectivorous, and in captivity will eat grasshoppers and crickets . (Mr. O. Eggling, of New York, tells me that he has induced specimens of this snake to eat mealworms.) Its habits, generally, are much like the smooth-scaled green snake, but it is a more agile climber and in a wild state, more persistently arboreal.
A curious trait of the species is to be constantly observed among the strictly arboreal serpents of the tropics (the whip snakes and allies). This is the habit of protruding the tongue rigidly from the mouth, without spreading the forked tips or rapidly waving that organ as is the custom among snakes generally. While the snake is progressing, the tongue is most frequently protruded in this fashion. As the tongue of this species is of a pale flesh colour, the character may be readily noted.
While hunting snakes in the South, the writer found it most convenient in collecting specimens of this species to shake the small bushes by the roadside and watch for the movements of the reptiles. If a specimen happened to be lying motionless among the leaves it was perfectly protected, the keeled scales imparting a soft, green surface that exactly matched the surrounding vegetation.
The Genus Liopeltis: A number of species of this genus occur in eastern Asia. They are of small size. The majority are of a uniform green or yellow above. Following is a description of the only North American species: