YAKIMA, Wash. - We live out in orchard country, so we're never far from nature. Our home, particularly an unfinished part of the basement, seems, much to Ellen's consternation, to be habitat for mice.

Vibrant green snakes, masters of camouflage, inhabit diverse global ecosystems from rainforests to savannas. These fascinating reptiles, including the Asian vine snake and emerald tree boa, play a ...