Smooth Green Snake Liochlorophis   Oldham & Smith, 1991
An adult specimen from Custer County, South Dakota Image © Suzanne L. Collins, 2004
Taxonomic Comments:
Oldham & Smith (1991 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society 27(4): 201-215) erected the genus Liochlorophis for the Smooth Green Snake, removing it from the genus Opheodrys. Liner (1994 Herpetological Circular 23: 1-113) recognized this genus as distinct from Opheodrys. Powell, Collins and Hooper (1998 A Key to the Amphibians and Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence. vi + 131 pp.) recognized this genus as distinct from Opheodrys. Dixon & Werler (2005 Texas Snakes. A Field Guide. University of Texas Press, Austin. xviii + 364 pp.) placed Liochlorophis vernalis in the genus Opheodrys, but gave no reason for doing so (CNAH Note: No evidence in a peer-reviewed scientific periodical has shown that the two very distinct species, L. vernalis and O. aestivus, are congeneric). Collins, Backlund, Collins & Taggart (2005 An Herpetofaunal Survey of Custer State Park, Custer County, South Dakota. Journal of Kansas Herpetology 15: 17-30) recognized Liochlorophis as the appropriate genus for this species.