Characteristics:
    This snake is small, reaching a max length of just over a foot. They are blue-gray to black with no pattern except for the yellow ring around their neck. Their belly is the interesting part. It can vary in color a bit, but they are often yellowish near the head and gradually change to orange towards the tail. Belly also has a varying pattern of dark flecks.

*Note: The 3 subspecies; prairie ring-necked snake (D. p. arnyi), northern ring-necked snake (D. p. edwardsii), and Mississippi ring-necked snake (D. p. stictogenys), are identified by the pattern and distribution of the dark marks on the belly.


Habitat:
   Mostly found under rocks or logs in open woods and hill prairies.


Behavior:
    This small secretive snake spends much of its time under rocks or logs where it not only hides, but also forages. The ring-necked snake eats a variety of insects and other invertebrates. They have also been known to eat salamanders. They mate in spring or in fall and lay eggs in the summer. When threatened, they will show off the brightly colored belly by coiling their tail. It is believed that this tricks predators into thinking they are venomous. Bright colors usually mean "dangerous" in the animal world.


Personal Remarks:
    Very cool little snake. There are a few locations that we know of where we turn up huge numbers of these guys. I can remember one time we found somewhere around 15 or so different individuals in one day. They make for great pictures when you can get them to show off the belly colors, but doing that can be a pain. They are not always the easiest snakes to photograph.