The Wildlife Center is very sad to announce that our Northern Rough Greensnake ambassador, Greenbean, passed away on September 26.
Greenbean joined the Wildlife Center in the spring of 2017. She came to us from a Virginia nature center that was closing its doors and needed to rehome education animals. We’re unsure exactly how old Greenbean was, but we know she was at least 10 years old when she arrived at the Center. Her cause of death was, simply, related to her old age. Greensnakes typically don’t live more than 10 years in captivity, so Greenbean had an exceptionally long life.
Greenbean had the honor of being the smallest member of our education team; on average, she weighed less than 30 grams. Her small stature and bright green color made her a popular ambassador – she truly looked like she belonged in a tropical jungle, climbing through vines – not in the canopies of Virginia’s deciduous forests. She helped people see the amazing diversity of Virginia wildlife.
Perhaps more importantly, Greenbean was non-threatening to most people who are apprehensive about snakes; she opened the door to snake appreciation for countless people who may have otherwise been too afraid to learn from larger, more “intimidating” snakes.
But we weren’t fooled by Greenbean’s diminutive size – she was fierce! It wasn’t uncommon to catch staff, students, volunteers, or visitors peering into her enclosure to watch her hunt for crickets. She was an excellent hunter!
We will sincerely miss our littlest green snake. Goodbye, Greenbean.