Types of Green Snakes?

[Serpento]

Hi everyone! This is my first post and I'm here to ask about the types of green snake species. My mom recently allowed me to get another snake, and she wondered if there were any green ball pythons (which I really like, by the way). She knows about green tree pythons and emerald tree boas, although she prefers snakes with more friendly dispositions. There are also rough and smooth green snakes, but those are a little smaller than what we're looking for, plus I hear they're usually wild caught. She really likes the bright greens of the snakes I've already listed, although an olive green color would be pretty too. Obviously, we're going to do a lot more research into anything before buying anything right out, but just for future reference, what other types of green snakes are there out there?

[Cobra89]

Hey Serpento, welcome to the forum. There are definitely lots of green colored snakes to choose from! I bought a pregnant rough green snake and raised up her offspring, though they are indeed VERY small, they're super easy to care for and they eat invertebrates (I fed them mainly crickets), which is entertaining. You are correct they are hard to find captive-bred, but if you were looking for a really pretty, inexpensive, and fun snake, you can't go wrong with a rough green.

Asian vine snakes are also a bright green and they just look amazing, it's fascinating how deftly they can serpentine through trees. I haven't owned one myself but I'd love to add one to my collection at some point in the future. They're mildly venomous, however to my understanding it doesn't really affect people.

Flying snakes also have a pretty wild green coloration, I saw one at an expo recently and fell in love, they're just stunning. However they definitely need a good bit of space, and lots of climbing height. Very mild venom as well.

Then of course there are olive pythons, I really like patternless species, and they have really nice iridescence which brings out that olive color. They get fairly large though, 2nd largest species in Australia.

Other than that I'm sure there are lots of other species with green-ish morphs that other members on here will know of.

[DJC Reptiles]

The only other green species of snakes I know are all venomous so not really what your looking for. Even for rear-fanged venomous snakes like the ones previously mentioned are going to require permits, and they don't like to be held. Your best bet is a olive python, although they quite commonly don't look to olive green as adults. I would recommend getting a captive bred baby green tree python, and raising it with frequent handling and hope for the best.

[jjhill001]

Originally Posted by Serpento

Hi everyone! This is my first post and I'm here to ask about the types of green snake species. My mom recently allowed me to get another snake, and she wondered if there were any green ball pythons (which I really like, by the way). She knows about green tree pythons and emerald tree boas, although she prefers snakes with more friendly dispositions. There are also rough and smooth green snakes, but those are a little smaller than what we're looking for, plus I hear they're usually wild caught. She really likes the bright greens of the snakes I've already listed, although an olive green color would be pretty too. Obviously, we're going to do a lot more research into anything before buying anything right out, but just for future reference, what other types of green snakes are there out there?

Rein Snake -- (Elaphe frenata)

Red-tailed Green Ratsnake -- (Elaphe [Gonyosoma] oxycephala)

Green Bush Ratsnake -- (Elaphe prasina)

Scientific names might be a bit outdated but those would be a good start in your search.

[Albert Clark]

In the ball python world you may want to take a look at the green pastel and the morph combos with that gene. Most of them don't really look very green at all, but the pastel is a very different one than we usually see. The green goblin is probably the closest to a green coloration and is a combo of the super green pastel crossed with the butter gene. Making the resulting animal look more like the purple passion morph w/o the striping and limited pattern.

[SerpentineDream]

What is your level of experience?

A lot of the snakes mentioned here are for advanced / expert keepers. Both green tree pythons and emerald tree boas not only have generally bad tempers but have HUGE teeth and difficult care requirements. Frequent handling of a baby green tree python to tame it will not work because you cannot handle them. They have very fragile skeletons even as adults and it's much too easy to break their bones without even realizing it.

Olive pythons get very large and can be challenging to safely handle. I wouldn't recommend them unless you are accustomed to working with giants, are aware of the risks associated with them and have a large enough enclosure to comfortably house one.

Asian vine snakes are more dangerous than previously thought. They were long believed to be pretty harmless until there were 9 reported severe envenomations and 2 fatalities from bites. They aren't like cobras or any such thing, but if it was me I would treat them like any other "hot" snake simply because the possibility of a severe reaction does exist. They are lizard eaters so you'd need to be prepared to offer them.

The green Old World rat snakes that jjhill suggested are neat critters and much larger than rough greens. Just consider whether you want them for handling or display only because some (like red-tailed greens) can be a bit snotty unless you get lucky and get a friendly specimen.

Likewise rough greens are fascinating but more display snakes than handling snakes. They are great to watch though and I like them a lot.

Depending on how firm you are on a vibrant green color, Albert might be right on the money with those ball python morphs

Olive house snakes are great too and friendly if socialized but are nearly impossible to find in the US. Although it looks like I have an expectant mother it would be months before any babies would be shipping and the price tag is rather steep so that is probably not your best bet. They are rear-fanged (some people disagree on this but I've been bitten enough by my previously unhandled pair to unequivocally state that they are, based on the consistently paired bite marks and images of the skull). Most people have zero reaction. I happen to be allergic. Still, the worst that happens is a bit of pain and some swelling which subsides within 24 hours. Your mom may object on general principal.

In your shoes I'd go with the rough green instead. Rough greens are cute, affordable and fun to observe. They pack a lot of interesting into a small package.

[Roman]

Some of the most beautiful snakes are green snakes. A nice display enclosure with a green gem in it might become the center piece of your living room.

But there are also some downsides involved. Most green snakes are (semi) arboreal snakes, that means they spend a lot of time in bushes or in trees and only little time on the ground. Small and medium sized arboreal snakes tend to be foot specialists, mainly for lizards. So you have to aware of, that for the medium or even large arboreal snakes which can be fed with rodents or chickens you will need a large enclosure with all the resulting costs for light, heat and energy.

I keep mostly arboreal snakes, a lot of them are at least partial green, so I understand the fascination for these snakes completely. From my experience, arboreal snakes are great display snakes, but poor to handle. Most arboreal snakes have an attitude of "bite first, ask questions later", understandable if you are somewhere up in a tree on a branch, nowhere to go and a potential predator between you and the only way out. Your only option is to be as nasty and aggressive as possible and probably scare your opponent away.

Some thoughts about the already mentioned snakes…

Green tree python (Morelia viridis) or emerald tree boa (Corallus caninus) (no personal experience) are nocturnal snakes, they will not move around a lot as long as the light is on. They will probably stay passive on their branch without moving. During night they are active and according to some personal information I got from a friend several years ago they can be really aggressive as soon as you open the door. If you ever saw the fangs of an adult Corallus you don’t want to get bitten by one of these. They will not adapt to handling, if you try to train them by frequent handling it is more likely to stress your snake and it will refuse to eat, so both species are display only. They need relative large rainforest enclosures, constant high temperatures and humidity. While all of this is not really a problem, I would not recommend any of them as beginner snakes.

Asian vine snakes (Ahaetulla prasina or Ahaetulla nasuta) and flying snakes (Genus Chrysopelea) (again no personal experience) are really stunning snakes, but what Cobra89 didn’t mention is that they feed primarily on lizards. Some can be converted to mice, but they have problems with digesting the hairs, so many die sooner or later on some kind of constipation. Combined with the fact that most of them available in the trade are wild caught, dehydrated and with a high parasite load, most of the snakes available will die within a few months.

Rough green snakes (Opheodrys aestivus) might be a good choice if you get captive breed snakes. Here in Germany they don’t have a good reputation, because most of the snakes we could get here are wild caught and a lot of them died after some time. Since they are native to the US you may have to check if they are legal to keep where you live.

A good choice might be the Genus Gonyosoma, ratsnakes from south east Asia. The red-tailed green ratsnake (Gonyosoma oxycephalum) needs a large, tall enclosure. The rhinoceros ratsnake (Gonyosoma boulengeri) stays a little smaller, but will also need a large enclosure. The green trinket snake (Gonyosoma prasina) and the rein snake (Gonyosoma frenatum) are smaller. While I would not recommend them as a beginner snake, they are not too hard to keep either, if you get captive breed snakes. Wild caught are often in the same condition as vine snakes and especially G. oxycephalum can be a food specialist which will not eat rodents or chickens, because it was eating on bats where it came from.

A good alternative might be the japanese ratsnake (Elaphe climacophora). They have a wide range of colors, most of them seem to be brown or grey, but there are also some green snakes. They can be kept similar to a corn snake.

My red-tailed green ratsnakes (Gonyosoma oxycephalum)


rhinoceros ratsnake (Gonyosoma boulengeri)


Roman

[daisymaisy]

Lots of great choices and info posted so far! If you want an easier to keep and handle snake, and don't mind green-ish and not bright green, there is the Japanese Rat snake. I keep mine like a typical rat snake, with extra climbing space.

[SerpentineDream]

I third the Japanese rat snake. That's a great suggestion.

[jjhill001]

I agree with Roman, I have seen some relatively calm Green Tree Pythons but those are several generations removed fromthe wild and naturally are more calm.

Any choice you make, particularly if you are just a beginner must be captive bred. Wild caught animals that have to be moved internationally tend to be in meh to bad condition upon arrival and there is no telling which level of not good condition you are going to see. Some of the most experienced keepers can deal with a bad condition import but even those die if they aren't lucky enough to get one in at least meh condition.

The rat snakes that Roman and I mentioned (props to Roman for looking up the new latin names) do have small but relatively easy to care for captive bred populations however you are looking at a price tag of at least a couple hundred for the majority he listed.

[Scubadiver59]

Red Tail Green Rat Snake

[Albert Clark]

Gorgeous animal Scuba! Can't wait to see how she does for you.

[SerpentineDream]

Wow, that's a pretty snake. Is she iridescent in sunlight?

[jjhill001]

Originally Posted by Scubadiver59

Red Tail Green Rat Snake

We get it Scuba you're better than me !!!