The Green Snakes 



Colouration. Uniform bright (leaf) green above; beneath 

 bright yellow.* 



Dimensions. The measurements taken are of a fairly 

 large specimen from Gainesville, Florida. 



Total Length 33 inches. 



Length of Tail 12^ 



Greatest Diameter T V " 



Width of Head f " 



Length of Head J 



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. 



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 west- 

 ward 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. 



This snake is insectivorous, and in captivity will eat grass- 

 hoppers and crickets. f 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 



* While the colour of the back matches that of the succeeding spe- 

 cies, the abdomen presents a different hue, owing to the decidedly yel- 

 lowish tinge that of the allied species beng white, or greenish -white. 



f Mr. O. Eggling, of New York, tells me that he has induced spec- 

 imens of this snake to eat mealworms. 



323 



