Islanders are being asked to help track the rare smooth greensnake this summer

If you spot a smooth greensnake in the wild on Prince Edward Island this summer, the province's Forests, Fish and Wildlife Division wants to hear from you.

Officials are hoping to gather data on the elusive reptile, which is considered the rarest snake on the Island.

The smooth greensnake is harmless and typically lives in grassy fields, in open woodlands and on the edges of wetlands.

But little is known about its population or whether it's at risk on P.E.I., said Julie-Lynn Zahavich, a forest conservation specialist with the province, given that the species has never been formally studied on the Island.

"Knowing where the species are and what habitat they're using is the first step to being able to help conserve a species. So it's really important that we figure out those key puzzle pieces that we can put things together," Zahavich told CBC's Island Morning.

"In the future, if things change — you know, with climate change or if insect populations go down — we'll be able to know what we had before, so that we know if we've lost the species, we can act on that."

Zahavich said the smooth greensnake is about 30 to 50 centimetres long and, as the name suggests, has a vivid green back. Its underside or belly is typically whitish or yellowish.

It's also the only egg-laying snake on the Island. The other two commonly seen species, the garter snake and the red-bellied snake, give birth to live young.

The smooth greensnake is easy to distinguish from those two species. Garter snakes are larger and can be more than a metre long, and have a brown or grey back with stripes. Red-bellied snakes have a dark back and a vibrant red belly.

Though the smooth greensnake may bite if it feels threatened, Zahavich said it is not venomous.

"They're very small, and the bite is not going to hurt you," she said.

Zahavich said the division is hoping Islanders can help gather data on the species by snapping a photo if they happen to see one of the snakes.

"Make note of the habitat that they're using... whether you're on a lawn or near a wetland or an open woodland," she said.

People are also being asked to use their phone to get the GPS co-ordinates of the location or check Google Maps for a sense of where they were when they saw the snake.

Photos and location information can be submitted to the Forests, Fish and Wildlife Division via Facebook, by email or by phone. Submissions are being accepted throughout the summer, when the snakes are active.

Knowing where the species are and what habitat they're using is the first step to being able to help conserve a species.— Julie-Lynn Zahavich, forest conservation specialist

The division is also interested in hearing about historic sightings.

"If you remember seeing them as a kid or many years ago, we'd also love to hear about that," Zahavich said.

As well, Islanders can upload photos and sightings to the iNaturalist app, which helps researchers gather data for scientific and conservation purposes. Zahavich said her team is monitoring the platform for smooth greensnake sightings on P.E.I.

While public reports are key, Zahavich said her team is also doing its own monitoring. Next year, they hope to expand their efforts across more parts of the province and potentially work with watershed groups and other organizations that can help track down more sightings of the reptiles.