ring-necked snake

(Diadophis punctatus)

Conservation Status
ring-necked snake
Photo by Jeff LeClere
  IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

 
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

S4 - Apparently Secure

 
  Minnesota

not listed

Species in Greatest Conservation Need – northern ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii) only

 
           
 
Description
 
 

As the common name implies, ring-necked snake is identified by a conspicuous yellowish-orange or orange ring around its neck.

Northern ring-necked snake has a yellowish-orange ring around its neck that completely encircles the neck. The belly matches the ring in color and has little or no dark spotting. The underside of the tail is yellow.

Prairie ring-necked snake has an orange ring around its neck that does not extend to the underside. The belly is yellow for one-third of its length, grading into orange for another third, finally grading into red. The underside of the tail is red. The belly also has numerous scattered black spots.

 
     
 

Size

 
 

10 to 15

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Northern ring-necked snake: damp deciduous forests

Prairie ring-necked snake: forest edges and openings, southwest-facing hillsides and rocky bluffs

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Behavior

 
 

When alarmed it will curl its tail into a tight coil.

 
     
 

Lifespan

 
 

4 to 8 years

 
     
 

Life Cycle

 
 

 

 
     
 

Food

 
 

Earthworms, salamanders, frogs, small lizards, small snakes, slugs, and soft-bodied insects

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

4, 14, 24, 29, 30, 74, 76, 78.

Northern ring-necked snake is found along the St. Croix River in northeastern Minnesota.

Prairie ring-necked snake is found along the Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota.

The two ranges do not overlap.

 
  1/21/2023    
 

Occurrence

 
 

Scattered but locally common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Class Reptilia (reptiles)  
  Superorder Lepidosauria  
  Order Squamata (snakes and lizards)  
  Suborder Serpentes (snakes)  
  Infraorder Alethinophidia  
  Superfamily Colubroidea  
 

Family

Colubridae (colubrid snakes)  
 

Subfamily

Dipsadidae  
 

Genus

Diadophis  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

coralbelly ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus pulchellus)

Dugès’ ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus dugesii)

Key ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus acricus)

Mississippi ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus stictogenys)

Monterey ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus vandenburgii)

northern ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii)

northwestern ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus occidentalis)

Pacific ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus amabilis)

prairie ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus arnyi)

regal ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus regalis)

San Bernardino ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus modestus)

San Diego ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus similis)

southern ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus punctatus)

Todos Santos Island ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus anthonyi)

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

cork-screw snake

ring-necked snake

ringneck snake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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Lane Keller

 
 

One of the more unexpected finds of Gooseberry Falls was back in June 2020. I was starting to head back to the parking lot after it got dark. Then out from the bushes comes this little black & orange serpent rushing past my feet.

  ring-necked snake  
 

Jeff LeClere

 
 

Prairie ring-necked snake

 
    ring-necked snake   ring-necked snake  
           
 

Northern ring-necked snake

 
    ring-necked snake   ring-necked snake  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

 

 
           

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
 
     
     

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
  Prairie Ringneck Snake showing defensive display.
Jim H.
 
   
 
About

Published on Apr 24, 2014

Prairie Ring-necked Snake, Diadophis punctatus arnyi

I've caught dozens of these, when I was a boy. They are pretty secretive and shy snakes, so I never really noticed how they try to show you their red tail......like that would scare anybody off. But in nature, red many times means danger.

This video shows a little ringneck trying to scare me off. He goes a little nuts for one of these guys.

And the strange thing is that these little guys are actually slightly venomous, although they are considered to be harmless by most people.

 
  Northern Northern Ring-necked Snake Scientific Name: Diadophis punctatus edwardsii release
VonFej61
 
   
 
About

Published on Nov 1, 2014

 
  Northern Ring-necked Snake Rescue
VonFej61
 
   
 
About

Published on Sep 29, 2014

Baby Northern Ring-necked Snake found in my garage all tangled in webs and debris..

 
  Handling Northern Ringneck Snake
naturefortwo
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Jun 4, 2011

Here's another short episode of backyard critters filmed at Danny's brother's house in Randolph, NJ.

This is a northern ringneck snake, which is a very mildly venomous species that can be found in New Jersey. As noted in the video, the venom itself isn't potent enough to be harmful to humans, but you can never be certain whether you'll have an allergic to the venom before being bitten. Thus, it's always best to NOT try to handle these snakes.

 
  Northern Ringneck Snake
TheSnakeLibrary
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Jul 24, 2011

Northern Ringneck Snake
(Diadophis punctatus edwardsii)

Description: 10-27 11/16" (25.4-70.6 cm). A small slender snake, with a golden-yellow neck ring. Back gray, olive, or brownish, sometimes approaching black. Belly yellow and typically unspotted. Neck ring may be interrupted, obscure, or occasionally absent. Loreal scale present. Scales smooth, in 15-17 rows. Anal plate divided.

Habitat: Forest, rocky wooded hillsides.

Range: Nova Scotia, south in the Appalachians to n. Georgia and ne. Alabama, west to se. Illinois and the Great Lakes region through Wisconsin.

Discussion: Unlike some of the other Ringneck subspecies, the Northern doesn't have red under the tail. Only the red-tailed forms perform the Ringneck "corkscrew coil" defense.

 

 

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Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this reptile.

 
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Be sure to include a location.
 
  Lane Keller
6/26/2020

Location: Gooseberry Falls State Park

One of the more unexpected finds of Gooseberry Falls was back in June 2020. I was starting to head back to the parking lot after it got dark. Then out from the bushes comes this little black & orange serpent rushing past my feet.

ring-necked snake  
  Lor
8/23/2019

Location: Blackwater Lake, near Longville, MN

only about 4-1/2” long. Seen crossing a gravel road.

 

 
  Jeff LeClere
5/18/2019

Location: Olmsted County

Prairie ring-necked snake

ring-necked snake

 
  Jeff LeClere
9/17/2017

Location: Pine County

Northern ring-necked snake

ring-necked snake

 
  Al Peterson
7/15/2017

Location: Bean and Bear Lake on Superior Hiking Trail

 

 
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

 

 

 

 

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