Description: A long (up to 63 inches in total length), plain green, yellow-green, or olive snake with a plain cream to light yellow underside. Young are gray to gray-green with prominent gray-brown dorsal blotches. As the snake ages the blotches begin to fade and the snakes coloration becomes more green. The dorsal blotches eventually disappear into the green background coloration. The dorsal scales are mildly keeled. The head is relatively long and narrow and is clearly distinct from the thin neck. The pupils are round. Females usually grow to a longer length than males.

Habitat: Found in the vicinity of streams in wooded rocky canyon bottoms in mountainous areas. Occurs in woodland, thornscrub, and chaparral. It has an association sycamore, walnut, cottonwood, wild grape and willow

Range: A wide-ranging snake that is distributed from Costa Rica to just north of the U.S.-Mexico border in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico

Found in these States: AZ| NM

Diet: Feeds on rodents, mammals, lizards and birds.

Reproduction: Little information available. Apparently lays 5 or more eggs in late summer or early fall

Status: Although listed as Least Concern, in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a threatened category, it is protected in both Arizona and New Mexico where it is considered Vulnerable..

Taxonomy: