The Ringneck Snake is a non-venomous species of colubrid snake that is native to much of the United States. It can also be found in parts of Mexico and Canada.
They are a relatively small species of snake that typically only grows to around a foot in length although some sub-species can grow a little bigger.
Ringneck Snake Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Ringneck Snake belongs to the Colubridae or Colubrid family of snakes. This is the largest family of Snakes in the world consisting of many popular species such as Pine Snakes and Milk Snakes.
With around 250 different genera of Colubrids, these snakes can be found on every continent except Antarctica which also makes them the most widely distributed family of snake in the world.
The vast majority of Colubrid snakes are non-venomous, or at least contain a venom that isn’t considered to be medically significant to humans.
However, there are a number of species of Colubrid snakes that contain venom capable of killing humans. This includes species from the Boiga and Rhabdophis genera as well as other snakes such as the Boomslang.
Genus
The genus that the Ringneck Snake belongs to is called Diadophis and at the time of writing the Ringneck Snake is the only species in the genus.
Species
The scientific name for the Ringneck Snake is Diadophis punctatus and there are currently 13 recognised sub-species.
There is debate amongst the scientific community regarding upgrading the upgrading of some of these sub-species to full species status.
The species was first described in 1766 by a Swedish zoologist named Carl Linnaeus.
Linnaeus first described this species under the Coluber genus as Coluber punctatus. The Coluber genus has had a huge number of species assigned to it over the years, most of which have been reclassified.
Linnaeus is credited for formalising binomial nomenclature which is the modern system of naming organisms.
He has described a large number of reptiles including the Yellow Footed Tortoise, the Common Slow Worm, the Green Ameiva, the Eastern Copperhead, the Mediterranean House Gecko, the Northern Water Snake and the Banded Water Snake.
He also described the Blunthead Three Snake, the Rainbow Lizard, the Greek Tortoise, the Surinam Horned Frog, the Desert Horned Viper and the Nile Monitor.
Ringneck Snake Description
The Ringneck Snake a relatively small species of snake that typically only grows to around a foot in length although this can vary slightly by sub-species.
One of the sub-species, the Regal Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus regalis) can reach up to 45cm in length.
The coloration of these snakes can vary between sub-species, ranging from a blue-grey color to light brown to greenish-grey or even black.
The background of the snake is uniform in color with the exception of a distinctive ring around the snake’s neck. This is where the species gets its common name.
This ring can vary in color from white, cream or golden to more vibrant colors such as oranges or reds.
Some of the sub-species such as the Regal Ringneck Snake and the Key Ringneck Snake can have very subtle rings that can sometimes even be completely absent.
The bellies of these snakes have a very vibrant coloration that can change a little amongst the different sub-species.
Some of these snakes have an orange-yellow colored belly while others will have a darker coloration, appearing more reddish-orange.
Many of the sub-species have black dots on their bellies also. This can be used to help identify sub-species as the arrangement of the dots varies among sub-species.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Ringneck Snake can be found throughout much of the United States and Mexico. They can also be found in parts of Southern Canada.
The different sub-species of this snake can be found in their own geographical ranges but as a whole, this species covers much of North America.
In the United States, they can be found on the Western Coast ranging from California up into Oregon and Washington. They can also be found in Idaho, Nevada and Utah.
They can be found throughout the Southern United States and are very common in almost all of the States in the Eastern half of the United States.
In Canada, these snakes can be found in the South-Eastern part of the country in places such as Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
They can also be found throughout much of Mexico with their range extending from the United States border to Mexico City.
The different sub-species of Ringneck Snake can be found in different geographical locations and some have their own specific habitat niches.
For example, the Northern Ringneck Snake can be found in parts of South-Eastern Canada as well as in much of the Eastern United States.
The Southern Ringneck Snake can also be found in the Eastern United States where ranges overlap. However, this sub-species can be found as far South as Florida.
The Pacific Ringneck Snake has a much smaller range and can only be found in a small part of California.
The Prairie Ringneck Snake can be found throughout much of the Central United States.
Ringneck Snake Behaviour
The Ringneck Snake is a nocturnal species that is mainly active during the night and sleeps throughout the day.
They can, on occasion be seen basking during the day if they need to raise their body temperature but they much prefer to stay hidden away during the hours of daylight.
These snakes have a diet that consists of other reptiles and amphibians. They are also known to eat things like earthworms.
Some of the reptiles and amphibians they will eat include lizards, frogs, salamanders and even smaller snakes of other species.