Rough greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus)
The rough greensnake is a non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. GBIF holds 4,070 licensed U.S. records of it; it reaches our listing threshold in 23 states, most of all North Carolina (868), Texas (865) and Virginia (422). Its observation records peak in April.
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Opheodrys aestivus, commonly known as the rough green snake, is a species of nonvenomous North American snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. The species is sometimes called grass snake or green grass snake, but these names are more commonly applied to the smooth green snake (Opheodrys vernalis). The European colubrid called grass snake (Natrix natrix) is not closely related.
From Wikipedia: Opheodrys aestivus, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is the rough greensnake poisonous or venomous?
No. The rough greensnake is non-venomous: it belongs to the family Colubridae, not to the pit vipers or coral snakes, the only U.S. land snakes with medically dangerous venom. It may bite if handled; clean the bite like any small wound.
Which states have the rough greensnake?
Records are spread over 23 states; the top three, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia, hold 53% of them.
| # | State | Records | Share of state snakes | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina | 868 | 4.2% | 10th of 39 |
| 2 | Texas | 865 | 2.1% | 16th of 86 |
| 3 | Virginia | 422 | 3.9% | 10th of 30 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 341 | 2.6% | 14th of 50 |
| 5 | Florida | 213 | 1.0% | 19th of 49 |
| 6 | Louisiana | 183 | 3.6% | 9th of 41 |
| 7 | Maryland | 152 | 4.2% | 8th of 20 |
| 8 | South Carolina | 135 | 3.7% | 9th of 40 |
| 9 | Georgia | 129 | 2.1% | 12th of 44 |
| 10 | Alabama | 126 | 2.2% | 17th of 44 |
| 11 | Kansas | 102 | 0.7% | 33rd of 44 |
| 12 | Arkansas | 97 | 1.8% | 11th of 36 |
| 13 | Tennessee | 84 | 3.2% | 11th of 32 |
| 14 | Illinois | 58 | 2.1% | 15th of 33 |
| 15 | Mississippi | 54 | 2.9% | 12th of 38 |
| 16 | Ohio | 53 | 0.9% | 19th of 25 |
| 17 | Indiana | 49 | 2.2% | 12th of 27 |
| 18 | Kentucky | 45 | 3.5% | 11th of 24 |
| 19 | Missouri | 35 | 1.9% | 17th of 36 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 24 | 1.5% | 15th of 18 |
| 21 | New Jersey | 19 | 1.7% | 13th of 18 |
| 22 | Delaware | 9 | 1.3% | 11th of 14 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | 2 | 0.0% | 20th of 20 |
When is the rough greensnake seen?
Across the U.S., observation records of the rough greensnake run mostly March through October, peaking in April with 17% of them. Winter (December to February) holds 3% of them.
Season by state
Observation records run through most of the year in Florida. Among states whose main season falls within one calendar year, it starts earliest in March (Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas) and latest in May (Illinois and Maryland). The most common peak month is April, shared by Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee.
| State | Main season | Peak month | Observation records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | March through October | May | 438 |
| North Carolina | March through October | May | 167 |
| Virginia | April through October | October | 151 |
| Florida | most of the year | March | 84 |
| Georgia | March through November | May | 70 |
| Maryland | May through October | September | 70 |
| Arkansas | April through October | April | 66 |
| Tennessee | April through November | April | 64 |
| Louisiana | March through November | August | 49 |
| Illinois | May through October | October | 38 |
| South Carolina | March through October | April | 38 |
| Kentucky | April through September | September | 34 |
| Oklahoma | April through October | September | 33 |
| Mississippi | March through October | April | 32 |
Where the rough greensnake is recorded in each state
North Carolina
North Carolina holds 868 licensed records, the 10th most recorded of 39 snakes listed there. Its observation records in North Carolina run mostly March through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Sampson County, Wake County and Scotland County. Next come Orange County (48) and Durham County (43).
Texas
Texas holds 865 licensed records, the 16th most recorded of 86 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Texas run mostly March through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Travis County, Williamson County and Dallas County. Next come Brazos County (38) and Tarrant County (37).
Virginia
Virginia holds 422 licensed records, the 10th most recorded of 30 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Virginia run mostly April through October, peaking in October; most licensed records come from Fairfax County, Henrico County and Northampton County. Next come Virginia Beach (23) and Accomack County (21).
Oklahoma
Oklahoma holds 341 licensed records, the 14th most recorded of 50 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Oklahoma run mostly April through October, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Cleveland County, Okmulgee County and LeFlore County. Next come Comanche County (23) and Pottawatomie County (23).
Florida
Florida holds 213 licensed records, the 19th most recorded of 49 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Florida run through most of the year, peaking in March; most licensed records come from Miami-Dade County, Alachua County and Monroe County. Next come Palm Beach County (13) and Franklin County (12).
Louisiana
Louisiana holds 183 licensed records, the 9th most recorded of 41 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Louisiana run mostly March through November, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Jefferson Parish, Ouachita Parish and Saint Tammany Parish. Next come East Baton Rouge Parish (11) and Lafayette Parish (10).
Maryland
Maryland holds 152 licensed records, the 8th most recorded of 20 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Maryland run mostly May through October, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Prince George's County, Montgomery County and Anne Arundel County. Next come Cecil County (14) and St. Mary's County (11).
South Carolina
South Carolina holds 135 licensed records, the 9th most recorded of 40 snakes listed there. Its observation records in South Carolina run mostly March through October, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Charleston County, Berkeley County and Jasper County. Next come Horry County (9) and Richland County (7).
Georgia
Georgia holds 129 licensed records, the 12th most recorded of 44 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Georgia run mostly March through November, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Chatham County, Charlton County and Clarke County. Next come Richmond County (8) and Bryan County (6).
Alabama
Alabama holds 126 licensed records, the 17th most recorded of 44 snakes listed there. Most of its licensed records in Alabama come from Lee County, Baldwin County and Covington County. Next come Bibb County (7) and Macon County (5).
Kansas
Kansas holds 102 licensed records, the 33rd most recorded of 44 snakes listed there. Most of its licensed records in Kansas come from Cherokee County, Anderson County and Labette County. Next come Bourbon County (7) and Franklin County (6).
Arkansas
Arkansas holds 97 licensed records, the 11th most recorded of 36 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Arkansas run mostly April through October, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Columbia County, Monroe County and Sebastian County. Next come Polk County (7) and Montgomery County (6).
Tennessee
Tennessee holds 84 licensed records, the 11th most recorded of 32 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Tennessee run mostly April through November, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Knox County and Shelby County. Next come Davidson County (5) and Hardeman County (5).
Illinois
Illinois holds 58 licensed records, the 15th most recorded of 33 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Illinois run mostly May through October, peaking in October; most licensed records come from Union County, Macoupin County and Jackson County. Next come Richland County (3) and St. Clair County (3).
Mississippi
Mississippi holds 54 licensed records, the 12th most recorded of 38 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Mississippi run mostly March through October, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Jackson County, Lafayette County and Harrison County. Next come Adams County (3) and Kemper County (3).
Ohio
Ohio holds 53 licensed records, the 19th most recorded of 25 snakes listed there. Most of its licensed records in Ohio come from Scioto County, Lawrence County and Adams County. Next come Jackson County (4) and Clermont County (3).
Indiana
Indiana holds 49 licensed records, the 12th most recorded of 27 snakes listed there. Most of its licensed records in Indiana come from Brown County, Clark County and Orange County. Next come Monroe County (3) and Daviess County (2).
Kentucky
Kentucky holds 45 licensed records, the 11th most recorded of 24 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Kentucky run mostly April through September, peaking in September; most licensed records come from Madison County, Edmonson County and Fayette County. Next come Breathitt County (3) and Pike County (3).
Missouri
Missouri holds 35 licensed records, the 17th most recorded of 36 snakes listed there. Most of its licensed records in Missouri come from Phelps County, St. Louis County and Cape Girardeau County. Next come Douglas County (3) and Franklin County (2).
Top counties in the U.S.
| # | County | State | Records | Share of U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sampson County | North Carolina | 131 | 3.2% |
| 2 | Travis County | Texas | 86 | 2.1% |
| 3 | Williamson County | Texas | 71 | 1.7% |
| 4 | Wake County | North Carolina | 60 | 1.5% |
| 5 | Jefferson Parish | Louisiana | 57 | 1.4% |
| 6 | Prince George's County | Maryland | 55 | 1.4% |
| 7 | Scotland County | North Carolina | 53 | 1.3% |
| 8 | Orange County | North Carolina | 48 | 1.2% |
| 9 | Dallas County | Texas | 48 | 1.2% |
| 10 | Durham County | North Carolina | 43 | 1.1% |
| 11 | Fairfax County | Virginia | 41 | 1.0% |
| 12 | Moore County | North Carolina | 39 | 1.0% |
| 13 | Brazos County | Texas | 38 | 0.9% |
| 14 | Tarrant County | Texas | 37 | 0.9% |
| 15 | Dare County | North Carolina | 36 | 0.9% |
How recent are the rough greensnake records?
The rough greensnake record leans on older material: only 39% of dated U.S. records come from 2017–2026, and the median record is from 2004. The oldest dated record is from 1854; the busiest year was 2025, with 213 records.
| Decade | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 5 | 0.1% |
| 1870s | 2 | 0.1% |
| 1880s | 12 | 0.3% |
| 1890s | 16 | 0.4% |
| 1900s | 17 | 0.4% |
| 1910s | 39 | 1.0% |
| 1920s | 97 | 2.5% |
| 1930s | 219 | 5.6% |
| 1940s | 256 | 6.5% |
| 1950s | 229 | 5.8% |
| 1960s | 256 | 6.5% |
| 1970s | 249 | 6.3% |
| 1980s | 337 | 8.6% |
| 1990s | 132 | 3.4% |
| 2000s | 287 | 7.3% |
| 2010s | 506 | 12.9% |
| 2020s | 1,263 | 32.2% |
Species recorded in the same counties
Of the 283 counties where the rough greensnake is most recorded, 144 are also top counties for the eastern racer, more than for any other snake. Venomous species among its neighbors: the eastern copperhead.
| Species | Shared counties |
|---|---|
| Eastern racer | 144 |
| DeKay's brown snake | 135 |
| Eastern copperhead venomous | 134 |
| Ring-necked snake | 122 |
| Eastern rat snake | 115 |
| Common garter snake | 111 |
| Northern water snake | 103 |
| Plain-bellied watersnake | 100 |
Related species in the U.S.
Other members of the family Colubridae with profiles here: Western terrestrial garter snake, Common garter snake, Gopher snake, Ring-necked snake, Northern water snake and Eastern racer.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.