CreatureData

Ring-necked snake

Diadophis punctatus (Linnaeus, 1766)

Status not recordedsnakes

The ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus) is a species in the family Colubridae, order Squamata. Recorded adults weigh about 161 g.

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Quick facts about the ring-necked snake

Weight
161 gsrc for Weight
Length
up to 87 cmsrc for Length
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Carnivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
forestsrc for Habitat
Egg incubation
42 dayssrc for Egg incubation
Young per litter or clutch
3.9 – 5src for Young per litter or clutch
Age at maturity
12 months – 2.5 yearssrc for Age at maturity
Reproduction
Eggssrc for Reproduction
Active
At night (nocturnal)src for Active
Lifestyle
Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
Conservation status
Not recorded
Countries on record
Not recorded

What does the ring-necked snake eat, and what eats it?

Species recorded in published studies and collections.

Recorded prey of the ring-necked snake

11 on record

  1. Red-backed salamander Plethodon cinereus5 sources
  2. Northern slimy salamander Plethodon glutinosus12 sources
  3. Sharptail snake Contia tenuis5 sources
  4. Black legless lizard Anniella pulchra4 sources
  5. Ground skink Scincella lateralis4 sources
  6. Puget sound garter snake Thamnophis ordinoides3 sources
  7. Northern two-lined salamander Eurycea bislineata3 sources
  8. Worm snake Indotyphlops braminus3 sources
  9. Southern alligator lizard Elgaria multicarinata2 sources
  10. Chihuahuan Nightsnake Hypsiglena jani2 sources
  11. Blackneck garter snake Thamnophis cyrtopsis2 sources

Recorded predators of the ring-necked snake

7 on record

  1. Racer Coluber constrictor5 sources
  2. Milk snake Lampropeltis triangulum3 sources
  3. Eastern chipmunk Tamias striatus3 sources
  4. Virginia opossum Didelphis virginiana3 sources
  5. Striped skunk Mephitis mephitis3 sources
  6. Eastern copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix2 sources
  7. Eastern coral snake Micrurus fulvius2 sources

Each pair is recorded by at least two independent datasets. A record shows the animal was seen or found to have eaten the other, including scavenged carcasses and young animals; it does not say how often. Compiled by Global Biotic Interactions (CC0 1.0).

References for these records
  • John David Curlis (Expert)
  • DIADOPHIS PUNCTATUS EDWARDSII (Northern Ring-necked Snake). DIET. 2016. Herpetological Review 47(4): 681-681
  • The Eastern Ring-Neck Snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii) in Northern Michigan (Reptilia, Serpentes, Colubridae). 1979. Journal of Herpetology 13(4): 377-402
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/70479745
  • Foods of Some Kentucky Herptiles. 1959. Herpetologica 15(2): 73-77
  • DIADOPHIS PUNCTATUS (Ring-necked Snake). VENOM. 2018. Herpetological Review 49(1): 130-130
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/202751063
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/76959556
  • CONTIA TENUIS (Common Sharp-tailed Snake). PREDATION. 2019. Herpetological Review 50(4): 798-798
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/272101968
  • DIADOPHIS PUNCTATUS MODESTUS (San Bernardino Ring-neck Snake). DIET. 1995. Herpetological Review 26(1): 38-38
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/105703994

Where does the ring-necked snake live?

Not recorded

Where has it been introduced?

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists the ring-necked snake as introduced in 1 country.

  1. Cayman Islands

Introduced means brought by people and now present; invasive means the country's checklist records an impact. A species can be native to one part of a country and introduced in another. Source: Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (CC BY 4.0).

Is the ring-necked snake endangered?

No conservation assessment is recorded for this species in our sources. That is not the same as being safe: it has not been matched to an assessment.

How is the ring-necked snake classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classReptilia
  4. orderSquamata
  5. familyColubridae
  6. genusDiadophis
  7. SpeciesDiadophis punctatus (Linnaeus, 1766)

Synonyms Coluber punctatus, Coluber torquatus, Diadophis amabilis, Diadophis amabilis occidentalis, Diadophis amabilis similis, Diadophis amabilis vandenburgii, Diadophis anthonyi, Diadophis arnyi, Diadophis laetus, Diadophis occidentalis, Diadophis pulchellus, Diadophis punctatus dougesii, Diadophis punctatus pallidus, Diadophis punctatus similis, Diadophis regalis, Diadophis regalis arizonae, Diadophis regalis blanchardi, Diadophis similis, Diadophis texensis, Diadophis vandenburgii

Other names and names in other languages (28)
  • užovka tečkovanáCzech
  • RinghalssnogDanish
  • HalsbandnatterGerman
  • Amerikanische RingelnatterGerman
  • RinghalsnatterGerman
  • Culebra de CollarSpanish
  • Culebra de panza rojaSpanish
  • couleuvre à collierFrench
  • couleuvre à collier américaineFrench
  • RingnekslangDutch
  • Tibigwewe GinebigOjibwa
  • Cobra-de-pescoço-aneladoPortuguese
  • Точечная ошейниковая змеяRussian
  • Boğmaklı yılanTurkish
  • Ringneck Snakeroot
  • Coralbelly Ringneck Snakeroot
  • Key Ringneck Snakeroot
  • Mississippi Ringneck Snakeroot
  • Monterey Ringneck Snakeroot
  • Northern Ringneck Snakeroot
  • Northwestern Ringneck Snakeroot
  • Pacific Ringneck Snakeroot
  • Prairie Ringneck Snakeroot
  • Regal Ringneck Snakeroot
  • San Bernardino Ringneck Snakeroot
  • San Diego Ringneck Snakeroot
  • Southern Ringneck Snakeroot
  • 環頸蛇Chinese

Catalogue of LifeiNaturalistITISWikidata

Relatives of the ring-necked snake

Other species in the same family Colubridae.

LC, Least Concern
Boomslang (Dispholidus typus)

Boomslang

Dispholidus typus

Colubridae

LC, Least Concern
Dice snake (Natrix tessellata)

Dice snake

Natrix tessellata

Colubridae

LC, Least Concern
Corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus)

Corn snake

Pantherophis guttatus

Colubridae

CompareRing-necked snake vs Grass snakeRing-necked snake vs Smooth snakeRing-necked snake vs Aesculapian snakeRing-necked snake vs Boomslang

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the ring-necked snake?

An adult ring-necked snake weighs 161 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the ring-necked snake an invasive species?

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists the ring-necked snake as introduced in 1 country: Cayman Islands, but does not flag it as invasive in any of them.

What kind of animal is the ring-necked snake?

The ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus) belongs to the family Colubridae in the order Squamata.

What eats the ring-necked snake?

Animals recorded preying on the ring-necked snake include racer, milk snake, eastern chipmunk and virginia opossum. The records are compiled by Global Biotic Interactions from published studies; each pair is reported by at least two datasets.

Which animals does the ring-necked snake eat?

Animals recorded as prey of the ring-necked snake include red-backed salamander, northern slimy salamander, sharptail snake and black legless lizard. The records are compiled by Global Biotic Interactions from published studies; each pair is reported by at least two datasets.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-14. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/ring-necked-snake

MLA

“Ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/ring-necked-snake.

BibTeX
@misc{ring_necked_snake_2026,
  title = {Ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/ring-necked-snake},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-14}
}