THE REPTILES OF OHIO 45 



Opheodrys aestivus (Linne) 



Keeled Green Snake 



Description. — A very slender snake attaining a length of three feet. Largest 

 adult Ohio specimens ($ dC 9), 3I1/2 inches; smallest juvenile, 8 l/^g 

 inches. Head narrow and slightly distinct from neck. Eye medium large; 

 head plates normal. One nasal; the nostril lateral and centered in the nasal. 

 Loreal present. Body very slender and subcylindrical but tapering somewhat 

 at either end. Tail very long, whip-like, tapering gradually to a slim pointed 

 tip and varying from 34.6% to 41.8%, average 37.8%, of the total length of 

 the snake. 



Dorsal scale rows 17-15; scales keeled except for the first one to three rows. 

 Upper labials 7, sometimes 8, rarely 6; lower labials 8, sometimes 7 (6 on one 

 side in one individual and 9 in another). Preoculars 1, occasionally 2; post- 

 oculars 2 (3 on one side in one specimen) . Temporals 1-2, occasionally 2-2. 

 Ventrals 150 to 164; subcaudals 120 to 142. Anal plate divided. 



Color bright green above; yellowish, with a greenish tinge, below. The 

 bright uniform green coloration of this snake and the smooth green snake have 

 caused many persons to have the erroneous notion that both these innocuous 

 serpents are venomous. 



Specimens examined, 25; specimens preserved, 24; . specimens studied, 21. 



Range. — Southwestern Connecticut to Florida, west to northeastern New 

 Mexico and north in the Mississippi Valley to southern Ohio, central Indiana, 

 central Missouri and southeastern Kansas. The keeled green snake occurs in 

 several of the southern counties of Ohio (Map 9). Locality records are: 



Adams County: 2 mi. W of Buena Vista, Green Twp. (OSM 87); 1 mi. W of 

 Lynx (DOR). Athens County: Between Athens and The Plains (OU). Clermont 

 County: Union Twp. (CSNH 1140, 1146. 1186A-B, 1239-40, 1274, 1452. 1719; 

 OSM 440; TZS 1684, 1990-2). Hamilton County: (Morse, 1904). Jackson 

 County: Canter's Cave, Jackson Twp. (TZS 794). Lawrence County: Ironton 

 (Smith, 1882). Meigs County: Portland (OSM 434.1); Salem Twp. (TZS 1194). 

 Pike County: Coopersville (TZS 716). Scioto County: Portsmouth (OSM 207); 

 Roosevelt Game Preserve, Nile Twp. (TZS 793); 2 mi. S of Rushtown (TZS 715); 

 Shawnee Forest, Union Twp. (OSM 86). 



Habitat and Habits. — The keeled green snake is not rare in certain parts 

 of southern Ohio, and in Clermont and Scioto Counties it was taken frequent- 

 ly. It was found most commonly in hilly areas where it occurred in cither 

 deciduous or evergreen woods and in open meadows and prairies. Individuals 

 were collected on the ground, on low pine and locust trees and on raspberry 

 and blackberry vines; one was accidentally dislodged from a group of plants 

 overhanging the cliff at Canter's Cave in Jackson County. Specimens were 

 usually very difficult to detect unless they were in motion. The method sug- 

 gested by Ditmars (1907, 323-4) of shaking bushes to get the snakes to move 

 and thus reveal themselves was tried, but the enormous number of bushes in 

 proportion to the few green snakes caused the experiment to be unsuccessful. 



Although snakes of this species were usually mild-tempered, an occasional 



