Ring-necked Snake
Diadophis punctatus • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Dipsadidae, Subfamily: Dipsadinae, Genus: Diadophis, Species: Diadophis punctatus
Widely distributed throughout much of North America, ranging from southern Canada, across the United States, and down into parts of central Mexico.
Look up Ring-necked Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Dipsadidae, Subfamily: Dipsadinae, Genus: Diadophis, Species: Diadophis punctatus
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as the species has a massive geographic range, high overall population abundance, and tolerance for varied habitats.
Physical Description
Dark grey, charcoal, or black dorsal coloration with narrow, light-colored transverse bands spaced regularly along the body. The ventral surface is typically bright yellow or orange. The head is relatively distinct from the neck, and scales are smooth.
Size & Dimensions
This specimen appears to be a juvenile, measuring approximately 15 to 20 cm in length. Typical adults range from 25 to 38 cm, with maximum recorded lengths reaching around 45 to 75 cm depending on the subspecies.
Habitat
Found in a variety of terrestrial habitats including moist forests, woodlands, rocky hillsides, fields, and edge habitats, often hiding underneath surface cover such as rocks, logs, bark, and leaf litter.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds primarily on small vertebrates such as salamanders, frogs, small snakes, lizards, and occasionally earthworms and insects, actively foraging beneath ground cover.
Reproduction
Oviparous, laying clutches typically ranging from 1 to 10 eggs in communal nesting sites beneath logs or rocks or in loose soil during early summer.
Look-alikes
Can be confused with other small colubrid and dipsadid snakes, but the combination of dark body coloration with light crossbands or a contrasting neck ring and brightly colored belly is characteristic.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as the species has a massive geographic range, high overall population abundance, and tolerance for varied habitats.
Cultural Significance
Serves an important ecological role in controlling populations of small forest-floor amphibians and invertebrates, while being a frequent subject of curiosity for amateur naturalists.
Notable Features
Exhibits a distinctive defensive behavior when threatened, curling its tail tightly to reveal its brightly colored ventral underside as a warning display.