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We did some internet research and this is what we found out about the Smooth Green Snake!

Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis).

 

* The Smooth Green Snake is the only snake in Michigan that is uniformly bright green. It has a vivid grass-green back with a white, ivory, or pale yellow belly.

* It is small and slender, usually 12–26 inches (30–66 cm) long.

* It is completely harmless to people and pets. It is nonvenomous and mainly eats insects like grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, spiders, and slugs.

* They are rare in Michigan, especially in parts of the Lower Peninsula, and are considered a species of special concern. They are also legally protected, so they should be left alone.

* Their bright green color makes them almost invisible among grasses.

 

They prefer:
* Meadows
* Old fields
* Wet prairies
* Marsh edges
* Tall grassy areas

The smooth green snake has a pretty unique status in Michigan. It isn't just "rare"—it is one of the native snake species that receives special legal protection under Michigan law.

Here's what that means in practice:
* You cannot legally collect one from the wild to keep as a pet.
* You cannot possess one without authorization from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
* You cannot intentionally kill one, except in the extremely rare circumstance that it poses an immediate threat to human life—which, for a harmless smooth green snake, is essentially never.
Michigan also specifically protects:
* All snake eggs, regardless of species.
* Several other uncommon native snakes, including Butler's garter snake, gray (black) rat snake, eastern fox snake, queen snake, copper-bellied water snake, Kirtland's snake, and the eastern massasauga rattlesnake.

 

Why are they protected?
The smooth green snake has declined across much of Michigan, especially in the Lower Peninsula. Biologists believe populations have disappeared from some areas where they once occurred, largely because of:
* Loss of open grasslands and meadows.
* Wetland drainage.
* Frequent mowing of old fields.
* Pesticides reducing the insects they eat.
* Habitat fragmentation by development and roads.

 

Unlike many snakes, smooth green snakes feed almost entirely on soft-bodied insects and spiders rather than mice. They eat:
* Caterpillars
* Grasshoppers
* Crickets
* Spiders
* Slugs
* Other small invertebrates

That makes them beneficial to gardens and natural areas.

 

They're surprisingly hard to find.

Even where they still exist, people rarely see them because they:

* Are only about pencil-thick.
* Blend perfectly into green vegetation.
* Freeze instead of fleeing when disturbed.
* Spend much of their time hidden in grasses and low plants.

Many lifelong Michiganders have never seen one in the wild despite hiking for decades.

 

If you find one:

The Michigan DNR recommends simply enjoying it and leaving it where it is. If it's in an inconvenient location, gently encourage it to move away with a long object like a broom rather than handling it. They emphasize that Michigan's native snakes belong in the wild and that sightings of uncommon species can be valuable for conservation.