Smooth green snakes eat insects and spiders, including caterpillars, crickets, ants, and moths, plus the occasional snail, slug, or worm. They kill with a quick strike, not constriction.
What Smooth Green Snakes Eat
This small, gentle snake lives in damp grasslands and meadows near water across southeastern Canada and the northern and central United States. Its natural menu is almost all invertebrates:
- Caterpillars, moths, and crickets
- Spiders and harvestmen (daddy longlegs)
- Ants and other small insects
- Snails, slugs, and worms
It hunts by sight and scent, grabbing prey in its mouth and swallowing it alive.
Why Pesticides Matter
Because smooth green snakes depend on insects, pesticides can starve them. Habitat loss and roads also hurt their numbers, and some states have protective laws. If you have a meadow or garden, going pesticide-free helps these snakes.
Smooth Green Snakes as Pets
They are attractive and docile, but they generally do poorly in captivity because they need constant live insects and fragile habitats. Many states restrict collecting them. If you are interested in a green snake, talk to a reptile vet or reputable breeder, and never take one from the wild.
Bottom Line
Smooth green snakes are insect eaters best admired in the wild. Learn more about rough green snakes, snakes and crickets, and what spiderlings eat.
