Ring-necked Snake
Diadophis punctatus
Size
12–15 in
Status
Common
Venomous
No
Region
Statewide
A small, secretive woodland snake with a bright yellow-orange neck ring and matching belly. Gentle and harmless, though often hidden under cover.
Identification
A slender slate-gray to bluish-black snake with a distinct yellow, orange, or cream ring around the neck and a yellow-to-orange belly, sometimes with black dots. Adults are only 10–15 inches. When alarmed some individuals coil the tail to show the bright underside.
Habitat & Diet
Lives in moist woodlands and their edges, sheltering under rocks, bark, and logs, often in small groups. It feeds on earthworms, salamanders, slugs, and small invertebrates.
Conservation in Indiana
Common but secretive, most often found by turning cover objects. It benefits from moist, undisturbed woodland floors.
Similar Species & Taxonomy
The plain slate back, bright yellow-orange neck ring, and matching belly separate the Ring-necked Snake from the similar-sized Southeastern Crowned Snake, which has a dark head cap but no neck ring. A ring-necked snake (family Colubridae, sometimes placed in the Dipsadidae). A single wide-ranging species, Diadophis punctatus, with many subspecies; Indiana's is the Northern Ring-necked Snake.
United States Range Map Distribution
Distribution in Indiana
