Information On Rough Green Snakes?

Question

Hi,

I am considering getting (purchasing) a rough green snake as a pet. I would appreciate any information, like, what and how often they eat, how big the tank/cage should be, and where I can get them. I would really appreciate information from snake owners, especially past and present owners of this breed of snake.

Thanks

Answer 1

I don't have experience with green snakes specifically, but I do have snakes. I found this to be a good source of info on green snakes:

http://members.aol.com/TheWyvernsLair/snakes/green.html

Answer 2

Hello, I will type up a care sheet on these guys for you.

Temperament: While they are generally look but not touch snakes and get stressed out when regularly handled; they very rarely bite, but are incredibly squirmy. This isn't a species to stick around your neck and expect them to stay there ;).

Size- They are a pretty small species, growing to about 2-3 feet.

Feeding: They need live insects twice or three times per week. Try crickets, moths, mealworms, waxworms, and butterworms. Some of them won't take mealworms however, likely due to the fact that they don't move around enough to catch the snake's interest. They need a variety of insects to maintain optimum health. Make sure all insects are dusted with calcium and vitamin D3 supplement as well as a multivitamin that is made specifically for reptiles.

Water: always provide a large, shallow dish with fresh water for these guys. They tend to be fond of soaking; expect to clean the water dish daily.

Heating: They generally do best with an 80 degree basking spot with an ambient temperature of 70-74 degrees.

Humidity: moderate. Make sure they have a good substrate (try eco-earth by zoo-med) and daily misting.

Lighting: full spectrum lighting isn't necessary for these guys, but they do seem to appreciate it. If you do provide it, make sure they are kept on a 12 hours on, 12 hours off schedule.

Cage size: a 29 gallon tall terrarium is a good size for these guys. They are arboreal, so make sure they have branches and vines in their cage to climb on. Make sure they have a VERY secure cage, they are wonderful escape artists.

If there is any more information you'd like to know, message me and I will do the best I can to help you out.

Good luck; I hope this helps!

Answer 3

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reptiles/snakes/roughgreensnake.php
http://www.popularpets.net/snakes/care-sheets/rough-green-snake.php
Here are a couple of care sheets I found on the web. You can probably find a lot more on there if you just type in Rough green snake caresheets. As far as eating...they don't eat once a month. Even mouse eaters eat more often than that unless they are huge boids or pythons. Green snakes would eat every few days on insects. Suitable prey is listed in the caresheets that I gave you.

Answer 4

Habitat need to be at least a 10 Gallon tank with a nice lid because they have a tendancy to rub their nose raw. They eat mainly cricketts and should be fed about 10 of them about every 2-3 days. They can be purchased at most pet shops or can be special ordered for you.

http://gladesherp.com
Captive bred would be better as a pet.

Answer 5

I currently own a rough green snake that I bought from a local pet store, and I've had him for about 3 years now. I've seen them sometimes at Petco or PetSmart, so you might try those if you have them in your area. Even if they aren't in stock, if you speak to a manager or person who works in the reptile section, the store can usually order them for you. Stores get a weekly list of what's available, and that's what they order their stock from. What's available, and what they can get might depend on the time of year, and weather in your area, so you may or may not be able to get one anytine soon.

A 20 gallon tank is a good size to keep them in. I have mine set up with a square plastic organizer on one end with water, and a piece of replica driftwood that goes down into the water (so the crickets can also get a drink, and climb out if they fall in from above). Behind that, lots of bendable vines, cleaned branches (thin), and silk plants. These snakes are climbers, and spend most of their time off the ground trying to blend in with the plants. I also use the shredded coconut fiber (Eco-Earth) as a bedding with microwaved oak leaves on top with a half log "hide" (note that they like to feel "enclosed" for better protection, so smaller hides are better than large ones - a rock den made of a piece of slate raised a little on one end would also work). Try for a "look" that imitates the bank of a stream or pond with overhanging branches.

I also use a screen top, and it shares a compact fluorescent light with another tank next to him. The light puts out a little heat, and branches allow him to climb directly beneath the light, but otherwise, he's at room temperature (around 68-72o). These are native to areas of the US where they experience snow over the winters and hot humid summers, so are quite adaptable to temperatures. Still, they need to have temperatures in the 60s at least to digest their food properly.

I give mine about 2-3 dozen small crickets over the course of a week, and other insects as available for treats. How many you need to feed will depend on the size and gender of the snake you get. As a male, mine is smaller than a female would be, and he does eat that many!

They don't care to be handled, but will try to get away rather than bite. I don't attempt to handle mine other than for taking him out for tank cleanings. When upset, they are capable of changing color somewhat to a deep blue. Mine only gets blue lines along the body, which looks like someone wrote on him with a blue pen (something I didn't know about when I first got mine!).

A store employee I talk with has also tried to keep one, but hasn't been successful with the two she's tried. I think a lot of keeping them has to do with not handling more than necessary, and giving them an environment that they feel comfortable in - meaning lots of places to hide.

They are a beautiful snake, but one better for looking at (when you can see them!) than handling.

Here's a link to some info on these: http://members.aol.com/TheWyvernsLair/snakes/green.html


ADDITION: Here's a photo of my snake in his tank: http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w10/copperhead_photos/greensnake.jpg (Yeah, his glass needs cleaned, but I didn't want to spook him while he was out and about.)

Answer 6

snakes eat every once a month,u can get 'em at reptile stores and it matters how big the snake is for the cage size but she have to make sure enough heat can get to the snake so u don't want to make it to big