This Rough Green Snake care sheet should be used for guidance only. If you have decided to keep a pet snake please gather as much information as possible from other reliable sources about the species you intend to keep.
Rough Green Snake
Opheodrys aestivus
DESCRIPTION
The Rough Green Snake is a small, slim, active snake native to eastern USA, and can be found in long grass, bushes, trees and other areas of dense foliage. It is a diurnal, egg laying species that is arboreal in nature and this characteristic should be taken in to consideration when housing the Rough Green Snake in captivity.
Unlike most pet snake species, Rough Green snakes are mainly insectivorous. In the wild Opheodrys species will prey on insects, spiders and occasionally small amphibians.
Not to be confused with the Smooth Green Snake which is very similar looking but slightly smaller with smooth scales and less arboreal.
PURCHASING
It is by far the best option to buy captive bred snakes. Wild caught Rough Green Snakes can sometimes prove difficult to feed and have difficulty adjusting to life in captivity. Even captive bred Rough Green Snakes can sometimes be difficult to persuade to feed and they are generally a shy and nervous species and therefore not really suitable for first-time snake owners.
Once you have purchased your Green Snake it should be left alone for 2 or 3 days to allow it to settle in to its new home before attempting to feed or otherwise disturbing the snake.
HOUSING
Even though Rough Green Snakes are small, they should still be given plenty of space to move around as these are quite active snakes. A single Green Snake will live happily in an enclosure measuring approx 24” by 15” by 18” (W.D.H.). The enclosure can be an all glass vivarium or preferably a wooden cabinet style vivarium with glass doors. Rough Green Snakes will not really be happy in plastic sweater or storage boxes due to their arboreal and diurnal nature.
Unlike many other pet snakes the Rough Green Snake can be housed in small groups. Add an extra square foot of space for any additional snake.
Rough Green Snakes prefer humidity in the range of 55% to 65%. In areas of moderate humidity this will be easy to maintain. Humidity can be measured using an inexpensive hygrometer, available from most reptile/pet shops.
Good substrates for the Rough Green Snake include dry leaves. If collected outside, they should be frozen overnight to get rid of any unwanted pests. Astroturf is another good and attractive choice. Buy two pieces so that one piece can be used while the other is cleaned. Newspaper or paper towels can also be used but will make your Rough Green Snakes vivarium less attractive.
Rough Green Snakes like a lot of foliage to climb on and hide amongst. Real plants aren't necessary, plastic plants are just as good and easy to keep clean. You can also install some branches, about the same width as your snake. An area of quite heavy foliage should cover at least half of your Rough Green Snake vivarium. A couple of small hides can be placed on the floor of the enclosure to give this nervous, shy snake plenty of options for finding cover. Cork bark pieces make attractive hides. The more secure your Rough Green Snake feels in its enclosure, the more likely it is to live happily and feed well.
A large shallow water bowl of drinking water should be placed in the coolest part of your Green Snakes enclosure. Rough Green Snakes will often prefer to drink from water droplets on leaves so it is well worth giving the foliage a light spray of water once a day to ensure your snake gets enough fluids. Be very careful not to over spray though and ensure the substrate remains dry.
HEATING, LIGHTING AND TEMPERATURE
Rough Green Snakes should be kept at daytime temperatures varying from 27 to 30 degrees centigrade at one end of the enclosure and 22 to 25 degrees centigrade at the other. This is known as a thermal gradient and will allow your Green Snake to choose its own desired temperature from within the range. Overall temperature can be allowed to drop 4 or 5 degrees at night.
As Rough Green Snakes are arboreal, heating equipment should warm the air adequately and not just at ground level. Incandescent bulbs (60w should suffice) or ceramic heat emitters are useful for this and should be fixed to the ceiling at one end of the enclosure, covered by a bulb guard and controlled by a thermostat to keep within the required temperature range. I highly recommend the HABISTAT range of thermostats. (Dimmer thermostat for bulbs and temperature thermostat for ceramic heat emitters). Use thermometers at each end of the enclosure to keep an eye on temperatures. If using incandescent bulbs for heat, a small heat mat can be fixed to the back (on the same side of the enclosure as the bulb), covering a quarter of the vivarium's back wall and left on 24 hours a day. This will provide low level background heat at night and emergency heat for your Green Snake should a bulb blow before its replaced during the day. Always follow the instructions provided with heat mats as these can sometimes vary between manufacturer.
Rough Green Snakes are thought by many to benefit from UV lighting so I would suggest using a small low wattage, low level UV fluorescent lighting tube to illuminate the vivarium during the day, such as ZOO MED REPTISUN 2.0. (18”).
All lighting must be turned off at night. 12 hours on/12 hours off is fine but many people like to mirror the daylight hours experienced in the wild and change the amount of daylight hours depending on the time of year. An inexpensive plug-in timer can be used to control when the lights switch on or off.
Any bulbs or ceramic heaters MUST be covered by a bulb guard to prevent injury to your Green Snake.
FEEDING
Rough Green snakes can be fed on a diet of crickets and the occasional mealworm. Offer as many as they will eat in one sitting, every 2 or 3 days. Live crickets can be bought in different sizes from any good store that sells reptiles. The crickets offered should no thicker than your Green Snakes body.
Once a week the food should be lightly dusted with a vitamin/calcium supplement such as NUTRABAL.
HANDLING
Personality of Green snakes is generally nervous but can vary between individuals and some will grow accustomed to handling. Be aware that Rough Green Snakes are very delicate compared to many other commonly kept colubrids and should be handled with care. If frightened, these non-venomous snakes will try to flee rather than bite and I have yet to hear of anyone being bitten.
GENERAL MAINTENANCE
Your Rough Green Snakes enclosure should be spot checked for faeces on a daily basis and cleaned out completely with a reptile-safe disinfectant at least monthly. All cage furniture including plastic plants and bark should also be disinfected and the substrate should be changed. A ratio of 5% thin, unscented household bleach and 95% water makes a good cheap disinfectant but must be rinsed thoroughly and dried before reintroducing your snakes. If using newspaper or paper towels as a substrate it should be replaced immediately when soiled.
Your Rough Green Snake should be given fresh water at least twice weekly.
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