87 



Phyllophilophis sestivus, (Linn.j, 

 Rough Ch-een-snake. 



Coluber cestivHs, Liana3us, 1766, 64-, ed. xii, i, 387; Lej}to2yhiH cestivus^ 

 Holbrook, 1842, o^, iv, 17, pi. 3 ; Baird & Girard, 1853, G, 106 ; Fhyllo- 

 2jhilophis cestivus, Garmaa, 1883, IS, 40. 



LoDg and very slender ; the tail whiplike, and constituting usually more 

 than a third of the total length. Head separated from the body by a 

 slender neck ; narrow and high ; swollen in the occipital region ; the 

 snout projecting considerably over the lower jaw. Eyes large. Scales 

 keeled, except those of outer row and often some of the second row. Ven- 

 trals 150 to 165; subcaudals 110 to 135. The latter seldom as many as 

 70 per cent, of the ventrals. 



Color grass-green above; below, greenish white. The green of the 

 upper surface fades somewhat on the lower rows of scales. In alcohol the 

 green changes to blue. The lower jaw and the upper labials are yellow- 

 ish white. 



Maryland to Kansas, south to Florida and Mexico. Indiana localities : 

 New Harmony (Sampson's coll.); Vigo and Parke counties (Nor. School 

 coll.); Dearborn county (A. W. Butler); Monroe county (Boll m an) ; 

 Cloverdale, Putnam county (Test). 



Habits. — This snake greatly resembles in general appearance and dis- 

 position the Smooth Green- snake. It may be distinguished readily from 

 the latter by its more slender form and by its keeled scales. It is equally 

 as harmless as the other snake, and makes no attempt to bite Avhen taken 

 in the hands. It is given to climbing about on trees in search of the in- 

 sects and larvjB that constitute its food. I have taken it while thu» 

 moving about on the branches of small trees. Of this species Holbrook 

 says: "Perfectly harmless and gentle, easily domesticated, and takes 

 readily its food from the hand. I have seen it carried in the pocket or 

 twisted around the arm or neck as a plaything, without ever evincing 

 any disposition to mischief. In its wild state it lives among the branches 

 of trees and shrubs, shooting with gi-eat velocity from bough to bough, in 

 pursuit of the insects which serve as its nourishment. Its green color, 

 similar to the leaves among which it lives, afford it protection against 

 those birds which prey upon it." 



Prof. Cope (22, vi, 309) says of one that he kept in confinement that 

 it manifested no disposition to climb over the ferns and plants among 

 which it lived, but that it lived mostly underground. It had a habit of 

 projecting its head and two or three inches of its body above the ground 

 and holding itself for hours rigidly in a single attitude. In this position 

 it resembled very closely a sprout or shoot of some green succulent plant, 

 and might readily be mistaken for such by small animals. 



