Ring-necked Snake
Diadophis punctatus • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Dipsadinae, Genus: Diadophis, Species: D. punctatus
Widely distributed across much of North America, spanning from southern Canada, throughout most of the United States, and 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. The species maintains widespread populations, though local populations can face threats from habitat fragmentation, urbanization, and road mortality.
Physical Description
Slender body with dark gray, bluish-gray, or brownish dorsal coloration. A distinct, light yellowish or orange collar encircles the neck just behind the head. The underside is bright yellow, orange, or red, often featuring black spots toward the tail.
Size & Dimensions
This specimen appears to be a juvenile measuring around 5 inches (approx. 13 cm). Adults typically range from 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 cm), with a maximum recorded length around 30 inches (76 cm).
Habitat
Found in a variety of habitats including moist forests, rocky wooded hillsides, fields, and edges of wetlands. They typically seek shelter under surface cover such as logs, rocks, bark, and leaf litter.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds primarily on small vertebrates including salamanders, frogs, small snakes, lizards, and earthworms. They hunt actively by foraging under cover and use mild specialized secretions delivered via rear fangs to subdue small prey.
Reproduction
Oviparous species, females typically lay clutches of 2 to 10 elongated eggs in communal nests hidden beneath rotting logs, rocks, or damp soil during early summer. Eggs hatch in late summer or early autumn.
Look-alikes
Can be confused with other small colubrids like red-bellied snakes (Storeria occipitomaculata) or brown snakes (Storeria dekayi), but the distinct light neck ring easily separates the ring-necked snake from others.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern. The species maintains widespread populations, though local populations can face threats from habitat fragmentation, urbanization, and road mortality.
Cultural Significance
Acts as an important mid-level predator in forest and grassland ecosystems, helping control invertebrate and small amphibian populations. They are often encountered by gardeners due to their secretive, burrowing habits.
Notable Features
Known for a unique defensive behavior where they curl their tail tightly upward to display the brightly colored ventral side as a warning signal when threatened.
Notes
Inlet beach Florida. 3pm. Very small. Like 5 inches