Description: Like D. p. punctatus, the Mississippi ringneck snake characteristically attains a maximum length of 17.5 inches. The head is black and the body dark gray, separated by a golden ring at the neck. The ventral side displays a yellow belly, transitioning to dark orange under tail. It can be differentiated from D. p. punctatus, with which it intergrades, by its black ventral markings that present as irregular black spots or paired black spots down the middle, rather than the a single row of black spots found in southern Ringneck snakes.

Habitat: Their favored habitat is pine forests, timbered hillsides, broken fields near water, and the bottoms of ravines. They can usually be found underneath logs, stones, and ground litter near stumps and tree bases.

Range: It is found in the eastern half of the United States, throughout most of the southeastern states and into the central states, including as far north as Illinois.

Found in these States: AL | AR | IL | KY | LA | MO | MS | OK | TN | TX

Diet: These snakes prey upon small vertebrates and small invertebrates, including insects.

Reproduction: A female will lay a clutch of 2 to 8 eggs under rocks or moist and rotting wood. The eggs hatch after about five weeks.

Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the very large and probably relatively stable extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size. This species is not threatened in most of its range.

Taxonomy: