Opheodrys

Rough Grass Snake ( Opheodrys aestivus )

The grass snakes ( Opheodrys ) are a genus of snakes. The genus consists of two species with five subspecies.

The species live mainly in the USA, southern Canada and northern Mexico. The snakes can be recognized by its rich grass-green color and its cream- colored or yellow underside. They have a thin body and are rarely longer than 90 cm. Grass snakes often live in dense undergrowth near a body of water. They rely on their camouflage and will try to escape when threatened. Usually they feed on soft arthropods such as crickets, spiders, moths, butterflies and grasshoppers. The genus belongs to the oviparous snakes.

Species

• The " Rough grass snake " ( Opheodrys aestivus ) (Linnaeus, 1766 Coluber aestivus )

Opheodrys aestivus since the audit by Ernst / Ernst in 2000, a monotypic kind, ie There are no subspecies of Rauen grass snake. The force until 2000 subspecies O.A. aestivus, O.A. carinatus, O.A. conanti and O.A. majalis are no longer valid / valid. Terra typica: Charleston, South Carolina ( Schmidt, 1953) Family: Colubridae ( colubrids ) subfamily: Colubrinae (true vipers ) Genre: Opheodrys species: O. aestivus subspecies: No (monotypic )

• The " Smooth grass snake " (formerly Opheodrys vernalis ) has now its own genre status and is classified taxonomically as Liochlorophis vernalis.

The ever re-emerging in the commercial so-called "Chinese grass snake " ( Cyclophiops sp.) Is not related to the North American grass snake ( Opheodrys or Liochlorophis ).