Description: The northern ringneck snake has a body color from bluish grey to black, with a complete narrow yellow or orange ring around its neck and an underside matching the ring and generally lacking any dark spotting or patterning. The complete ring and lack of large dark spots on the belly differentiate it from other subspecies of D. punctatus. In some regions, there are areas of intergradation with other subspecies. Generally from 10 to 15 inches in total length (including tail) as an adult, it can reach more than two feet in length.
Habitat: The favored habitat of the northern ringneck snake over most of its range is a moist wooded area, but it will also use the edges of wetlands or open areas in mountainous or hilly terrain. It is also often found in moist humid basements.
Range: In the United States it is found throughout New England, the Mid-Atlantic states, and the Great Lakes region, and also at higher elevations in the South. More specifically, it is found in the following: NE Alabama, Connecticut, NW Georgia, SE Illinois, S Indiana, Kentucky,Maine, W Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, NE Minnesota, N New Jersey, New York, W North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, extreme NW South Carolina, E Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Diet:D. p. edwardsii preys upon insects, salamanders, earthworms, slugs, small lizards, small snakes, and frogs. The red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is a favorite food.
Reproduction: Female D. p. edwardsii will lay her clutch of 2 to 10 eggs under a rock or in moist and rotting wood. Other female snakes may also use the same laying site, leading to single site egg finds of up to the mid fifties. The eggs hatch after about two months, and the young look essentially the same as the adults, possibly with a brighter color shade on the ring and belly. The eggs are 3/4 tpo 1+1/4 inches long by 1/4 inch wide, and the hatchlings are 3.9 to 4.9 inches in total length. Egg laying is normally in early summer and hatching in late summer.
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.
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Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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