Southern Ringneck Snake Diet

Southern ringneck snakes are common in the Southeast.

The southern ringneck snake is a small snake that is most commonly found in the southeastern areas of the United States. Seeing a ringneck snake in person, however, is not so common. They are reclusive and nocturnal in nature, preferring to spend their days under shelter or underground hiding from predators. Ringneck snakes become active at night and often dig underground to uncover prey.

Taxonomy and Description

The scientific name of the ringneck snake is "Diadophis punctatus punctatus." "Diadophis" comes from the words "diadem," for "headband," and "ophis," which means "snake"; while "punctatus" comes from "punctum," which means "puncture" or "spot" in Latin and is a reference to the dark colored markings along their underside. Ringneck snakes are small, with an average size of 6 to 10 inches. They have a slender black body with a yellow, cream, orange or red-colored ring behind their head and a lightly colored belly on which a row of dark spots run along its length. It is the more pronounced and well-defined spots on the belly that differentiate the southern ringneck from its relative the northern ringneck snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii).

Range and Habitat

The southern ringneck snake is most commonly found in the Southeast region of the United States, although its range extends west to the Pacific Ocean. Populations are spotty in distribution and not commonly found west of Texas. Ringneck snakes live in forests, meadows, marshlands, along rocky hillsides and in any other environment that contains wet, humid micro-climates for these snakes to hunt in. They frequently burrow and can be found under logs, rocks and other debris on the ground.

Diet

Because of their size, the diet of ringneck snakes is limited to small prey. They feed on insects, earthworms, slugs, salamanders, small frogs, lizards and other small snakes that live in the same moist environments.

Hunting Methods

Ringneck snakes are primarily nocturnal hunters though they can be found in daytime, especially early in the morning or late in the evening. They track their prey with their keen sense of smell. Once it is located, they bite and then constrict the prey, suffocating it before swallowing it whole.

Interesting Facts

When threatened, the ringsnake will curl its tail and expose the brightly colored scales of its belly in an attempt to ward off potential predators. Though the ring-neck snake is harmless, bright colors are often a warning sign in nature and many animals will think twice before attacking. Sometimes ringneck snakes will release a foul smelling musk, expose their brightly-colored belly and play dead.

References

• Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution: Phylogeography of Diadophis punctatus: Extensive Lineage Diversity and Repeated Patterns of Historical Demography in a Trans-continental Snake
• Florida Natural History Museum: Southern Ring--necked Snake
• Duke University: Ringneck Snake: Diadophis punctatus
• Idaho Museum of Natural History: Diadophis punctatus
• Virginia Herpetological Society: Southern Ring-neck Snake

Resources

• The University of Georgia: Southern Ringneck Snake