Ring-necked Snake
Diadophis punctatus • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Dipsadinae, Genus: Diadophis, Species: punctatus
Found throughout much of North America, including most of the United States, central Mexico, and southeastern Canada.
Look up Ring-necked Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Venomous Status
Mildly venomous (Rear-fanged/Opisthoglyphous); however, it is not dangerous to humans.
Danger Level
Harmless; they rarely bite and their small mouths/rear fangs make envenomation of humans nearly impossible.
Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Dipsadinae, Genus: Diadophis, Species: punctatus
Conservation
Least Concern (IUCN); widespread and common, though sensitive to habitat destruction and pesticides that reduce prey populations.
Physical Description
Slender body with smooth scales. Dorsal color is usually solid black, slate gray, or olive. Characterized by a distinct yellow, orange, or cream-colored ring around the neck. The belly is brightly colored (yellow to red) often with black spots.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen appears to be an adult around 10-14 inches; species range is typically 10 to 15 inches (25-38 cm), maxing out around 18-20 inches.
Habitat
Highly adaptable, residing in moist forests, grasslands, rocky hillsides, and suburban gardens; typically found under logs, rocks, or leaf litter.
Behavior & Temperament
Secretive and nocturnal. When threatened, they exhibit a unique defensive display by curling their tails to reveal the bright underside (aposematic coloration) but rarely strike.
Diet & Feeding
Active forager feeding on earthworms, small salamanders, slugs, frogs, and sometimes other small snakes; uses mild venom and slight constriction to secure prey.
Reproduction
Oviparous (egg-laying); females lay clutches of 3 to 10 eggs in early summer in communal nesting sites; eggs hatch in late summer.
Venom Profile
Weak specialized saliva used to subdue small prey (amphibians/invertebrates); no medically significant venom for humans.
Look-alikes
Similar to Brown Snakes (Storeria dekayi) or Red-bellied Snakes, but distinguished by smooth scales and the conspicuous unbroken neck ring.
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN); widespread and common, though sensitive to habitat destruction and pesticides that reduce prey populations.
Cultural Significance
Ecologically important as both a predator of garden pests (slugs/worms) and prey for birds and larger mammals. Frequently encountered by children due to its docile nature.
Notable Features
Notable for its 'thigmotactic' behavior (seeking contact with solid surfaces) and its vibrant aposematic tail-coiling display used to startle predators.