Ring-necked Snake
Diadophis punctatus • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Dipsadinae, Genus: Diadophis, Species: D. punctatus
Widespread across North America, ranging from southern Canada through much of the United States down into parts of central Mexico.
Look up Ring-necked Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Dipsadinae, Genus: Diadophis, Species: D. punctatus
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, with stable populations across most of its native range, though local habitat loss can impact populations.
Physical Description
The specimen features a dark gray to black dorsal coloration with a distinct pale yellowish-orange ring immediately behind the head. The body is slender and cylindrical with smooth scales.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen appears to be approximately 20 to 30 cm long. Typical adults range from 25 to 38 cm, with record sizes reaching up to 45 cm or more.
Habitat
Found in a variety of habitats including moist woodlands, rocky wooded hillsides, open fields, and areas near water bodies. They typically seek shelter under logs, rocks, bark, and leaf litter.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds primarily on small vertebrates such as salamanders, frogs, earthworms, and occasionally other small snakes or lizards, actively foraging under cover objects.
Reproduction
Oviparous, laying clutches typically ranging from 1 to 10 eggs in communal nesting sites beneath rocks or decaying wood during early summer.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, with stable populations across most of its native range, though local habitat loss can impact populations.
Cultural Significance
Acts as an important mid-level predator in forest and woodland ecosystems, helping control invertebrate and small amphibian populations.
Notable Features
Exhibits a distinctive display when threatened by curling its tail tightly upward to reveal the bright red-orange underside while releasing a foul-smelling musk.