Green Mamba???

From my June 10, 2016 nature journal...

© Photographer: William Wise | iNat Observation: 30531059 - Rough Greensnake; Walton County, Georgia. June 10, 2016.

A frantic 911 caller sent one of our animal control officers out to catch this "highly venomous Green Mamba" they had in their house. No doubt, it must have escaped from an exotic animal breeder somewhere nearby (right). Well, actually, it was just a Rough Green Snake; a very common and harmless garden variety snake found here in Georgia. But a very beautiful specimen nonetheless!

Rough Greensnakes (Opheodrys aestivus) are probably the most arboreal snakes in our region and spend the majority of their time hunting for insects, spiders, and other invertebrates in vegetation well above the ground. When encountered, greensnakes often freeze, relying on their green coloration for camouflage. (Source: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory website)

Greensnakes are quite camouflaged in the wild, blending in with the other slender green vines and vegetation. I’ve often walk by one only to have it drop from a branch and slither away quicker than a photo can be taken. This specimen, however, was quite easy to photograph. A little bit of handling tired it out and it became fairly docile. It let me use a variety of lenses as I posed it in a nearby tree for some more natural looking photographs.

Many harmless snakes are misidentified and unfortunately killed. In our region (the southeastern United States), there are only a few species of venomous snakes. Learning to identify the few venomous snakes might save a harmless and ecologically beneficial snake’s life next time it happens to crawl into your home.

​Walton County, Georgia

© Photographer: William Wise | iNat Observation: 30531059 - Rough Greensnake; Walton County, Georgia. June 10, 2016.

Posted on June 10, 2022 02:25 PM by williamwisephoto