The Ring-necked Snake is a small snake, typically measuring about 10 inches long and weighing under 10 grams. These small bodied snakes might easily be mistaken for worms except for their yellow or yellow-orange neck ring. Their scales are smooth and they have a divided anal plate (Collins 1993). The Ring-necked Snake has a solid background color, typically bluish gray but it may also be dark brown or almost black. The Northern Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii) has a belly that is yellow and its neck ring is light yellow. Its belly may or may not be marked with a few black spots. The Prairie Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus arnyi) has a brighter, yellow-orange neck ring. Its underside is yellow-orange from the throat to its vent and is bright orange-red on the tail, with lots of small black, half-moon spots along its length. In the area in Wisconsin where both Prairie Ring-necked Snakes and Northern Ring-necked Snakes may occur, the belly pattern of individuals may be intermediate between the two subspecies. In Kansas, female Prairie Ring-necked Snakes are somewhat longer and heavier than males (Fitch 1999). Young Ring-necked Snakes are identical in appearance to adults but hatch out at about 4-5 inches long.
The Ring-necked Snake consists of 12 currently recognized subspecies. In the upper Midwest, the Prairie Ring-necked Snake and Northern Ring-necked Snake occur. These snakes are similar in appearance to Red-bellied Snakes (Storeria occipitomaculata) and Northern Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi). Unlike the Ring-necked Snake, the Red-bellied Snake has an underside that is bright red edged with blue-black and it lacks a neck ring. The Northern Brown Snake has a white or light pink underside and lacks a neck ring.
The Ring-necked snake is restricted to North America but has a broad distribution across the continent. It ranges as far north as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, west to Minnesota and from southern Washington south to the Florida Keys across to southern California and northern Baja, California and south to San Luis Potosi in eastern Mexico. The Prairie Ring-necked Snake is found east of the Mississippi River in southwestern Wisconsin and western Illinois. West of the Mississippi River, it ranges from southeastern Minnesota and southeastern South Dakota south to south-central Texas. The Northern Ring-necked Snake is found from Nova Scotia to northeastern Minnesota south to southern Illinois and northern Georgia. It is absent in large areas in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Ohio and has only isolated records from Indiana.
Ring-necked Snakes in the upper Midwest are secretive, spending most of their time either under cover or underground. The Prairie Ring-necked Snake spends most of its time under flat rocks or within logs or underground, but may also use woodpiles. The Northern Ring-necked Snake spends most of its time under rocks, bark, fallen trees, or underground. Both snakes appear to favor moist micro-habitats. The Prairie Ring-necked Snake is found on hill prairies, and bluffs in spring and fall, but may move to moister places, such as near springs in summer. They may also be found in or on the edge of deciduous woodlands. The Northern Ring-necked Snake favors moist deciduous forests but avoid flood-prone bottomlands and usually avoid more open habitats. Both snakes overwinter in burrows made by other animals or in deep rock crevices.
The active season for Ring-necked Snakes varies across their range, and is controlled by temperature. In the more northerly parts of their range, the active season may be as short as four months, typically from May through September. In the more southern parts of their range, the active season may extend from March until November. These small snakes are typically active at night, but may be active during the day following heavy rains. They have small home ranges, typically less than about 400 feet in diameter. However, Ring-necked Snakes in the upper Midwest may make longer movements to and from their hibernacula and have been sighted crossing roads in the spring and fall. Ring-necked Snakes appear to be faithful, or philopatric, to their home ranges. Snakes that have been moved up to a half mile from their home ranges have been observed traveling back to, or at their original sites later. When threatened, the Prairie Ring-necked Snake will often bury its head under its coils and raise its tail in the air like a corkscrew. It has been speculated that this display may function to startle a predator or to direct its attack at the snake’s tail rather than its head. Northern Ring-necked Snakes do not display like Prairie Ring-necked Snakes. Rather they will void feces, urine and musk when handled. Both snakes will writhe when handled.
The diet of the Ring-necked Snake varies by geographic location. Prairie Ring-necked Snakes in the upper Midwest have been reported as eating amphibians, small snakes or lizards, newborn rodents, insects, earthworms and other invertebrates. The Northern Ring-necked Snake feeds on earthworms, slugs, insects, small salamanders, frogs, and small snakes. Some populations of Ring-necked Snakes appear to specialize on particular prey items. For example, a population of Northern Ring-necked Snakes in Michigan would only eat Red-backed Salamanders. Predators for Ring-necked Snakes in the upper Midwest include birds, small mammals and other snakes. However, their habit of staying hidden under cover probably affords them protection from many predators.
Mating may occur in Ring-necked Snakes in spring or fall when the snakes are aggregated near their hibernaculum, their overwintering site. Females who breed in the fall are able to store sperm overwinter and delay their pregnancy until the following spring. Ring-necked Snakes retain their eggs longer than most snakes, and so the embryos are fairly well-developed when the eggs are laid. Egg-laying sites include small mammal burrows, under rocks, under the bark of rotting logs or within rotted logs or stumps. In some cases, females may lay their eggs in the same nest, a phenomenon known as communal nesting.
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The Prairie-Ringnecked Snake is listed as a species of Special Concern and is listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The Northern Ring-necked Snake is listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.