Ringneck Snake

Diadophis punctatus

by Ashley

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptallia
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Diadophis
Species: Diadophis punctatus

Physical Description

The back of a ring neck snake varies. It could be blue gray to light brown to greenish gray. Adult females are longer than the adult males. Their length goes from the smallest 10 inches to the largest 27 inches. They mullet or shed off there scales every month of the year. The ring neck snake has a ring around its neck. The color of the ring is different for every snake.

Diet and Feeding Habits

The ring neck snake eats things like small salamanders, lizards, frogs, and earthworms. They hunt their prey and strike at them with venom, once they get a hold of there prey they constrict it until it cannot breathe anymore. Once it is almost dead they swallow the prey whole.

Reproduction

They breed once every year in the spring or fall. The eggs are laid in June or July. Out of all the eggs they only get 3 to 10 offspring's. The mother lays the eggs and leaves them to hatch on their own, she never comes back for them. But the mother makes sure that they are safe in a moist nest in the ground so no predator will come and eat the eggs.

Habitat

The ringneck snakes likes areas with many hiding spaces. Some of their favorite hiding places are under stones and bark from a tree. The ringneck snake also lives in moist soil from 27 to 29 degrees Celsius. You will mostly find them in open woodlands near rocky hillsides.

Role in the Ecosystem

The ringneck snake plays a small role in the biodegradation which means the ringneck snake eats dead and decaying animals or bacteria. It also plays a role in the predator and pray helping control the pest population. They serve as a substance for larger animals.

Bibliography

http://pick4.pick.uga.edu/mp/20q?go=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/
classification/Diadophis_punctatus.html#Diadophis%20punctatus

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Diadophis_punctatus.html

http://members.aol.com/TheWyvernsLair/snakes/ringneck.html

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12145_12201-61205--,00.htmlhttp://www.
michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12145_12201-61205--,00.html

http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/bio/reptile/serp/dipu/dipufram.htm