This snake grows to about 15 inches (40 cm) in length. The photos show a young snake that was about 6-7 inches long. Photo 1 shows the bright orange band separating the dark blue-gray scales covering the top of the body from the shiny black head. Ventrally this snake is bright yellow, often with a bright red undertail, which it displays curled up when it senses danger.
Ringneck Snakes range from eastern Canada and northeastern US to Florida and west to the pacific northwest. The prairie subspecies that occurs here ranges from Iowa to northwestern Arkansas west to Texas and north to eastern Nebraska. They are common throughout their range but are seldom seen because of their secretive behavior.
Ringneck snakes eat insects, frogs, small salamanders, other small snakes, lizards and newborn rodents. They use a weak venom in their saliva to subdue prey and sometimes constriction. Females typically lay 3-4 eggs in June. They hunt for earthworms and small insects. Eggs hatch in about 60 days.
The content of NatureSearch is provided by dedicated volunteer Naturalists of Fontenelle Forest who strive to provide the most accurate information available. Contributors of the images retain their copyrights. The point of contact for this page is: Loren Padelford.