Dimorphism and Diet: For many snakes, the body length, tail length and tapering of the tail can be used to indicate sex. This is also true of the smooth green snake however, because of their thin stature, these features may not always be apparent. Another method of sexing this species is by looking at the shape of the head, male smooth green snakes have a longer, more pointed head while the females’ head is much shorter, rounded and more blunt. The reason for this is unclear as both occupy the same habitats and feed on the same prey, a variety of insect species. Smooth green snakes have a particular fondness for the caterpillars of the owlet moth (𝘕𝘰𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘦) and will specifically target these above all other invertebrates. If there is a lack of these hairless caterpillars, green snake will move on to other prey. This includes small spiders, harvestmen, terrestrial snails, crickets and grasshoppers.
Conservation: Habitat loss and human encroachment are some of the largest threats to wildlife, even more than radioactivity. Many areas deemed radioactive are inhospitable for people and often become abandoned. The Birchcliff Quarry Lands in Toronto is a local example where the dumping of uranium paint had caused the area to be a sanctuary free of development. Here, migratory birds find solace, deer frolic in the meadows as smooth green snakes forage for caterpillars under cover. Despite the radioactivity, the area supported one of the largest smooth green snake populations in the Greater Toronto Area. In areas, like Chernobyl, with even more radiation, wildlife still thrives despite long term health complications. Here, snakes have developed cataracts in high abundance. Unlike Chernobyl however, the Birchcliff Quarry Lands has lower radioactivity and has now been levelled to build affordable housing.
Sources:
"5 Butterfly Species at Birchcliff Quarrylands: August 2020." mileshearn.com, Self Published, 6 Aug. 2020, mileshearn.com/2020/08/06/5-butterfly-species-at-birchcliff-quarrylands-august-2020/. Accessed 23 Nov. 2023. "Chernobyl Offers Insight into Cataract Formation." American Academy of Ophthalmology, University of South Carolina, 26 Apr. 2016, www.aao.org/education/headline/chernobyl-offers-insight-into-cataract-formation. Accessed 23 Nov. 2023. Korbee, Hedy. "Quarry Towers One Step Closer to Reality." Birchcliff News, 1 Sept. 2020, www.birchcliffnews.com/quarry-towers-one-step-closer-to-reality/. Accessed 23 Nov. 2023. Mark Waters, Roy. "Seasonal Prey Preference by the Smooth Green Snake." ProQuest, Central Michigan University, 1993, www.proquest.com/openview/035516669c70cc09ac9ff3ac063b0663/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y. Accessed 7 Dec. 2021. Rowell, Jeffrey C. The Snakes of Ontario: Natural History, Distribution and Status. Winnipeg, Art Bookbindery, 2012. "Smooth Greensnake." Ontario Nature, 2021, ontarionature.org/programs/community-science/reptile-amphibian-atlas/smooth-greensnake/. Accessed 7 Dec. 2021. |