Prairie Ring-Necked Snake

Description:

A prairie ring-necked snake, flipped under a piece of plywood. 4 were found under one small piece of plywood! 5 were found that day in the same area. The color varies from a light brownish back to a slate-gray back. The rings can be thin or thick, red-orange or yellow-orange. The ventral scales are yellow, and towards the tail they turn orange, then a bright red starting around the anal plate. They will coil up this red tail into a corkscrew as a warning when they feel threatened, but they are rear-fanged and pose no threat to humans. These snakes are smaller in size, and very squirmy!

Habitat:

Found under a small piece of plywood in a large field with many small cacti and some trees.

Notes:

One of my first ring-necks! Was out herping with another, and more experienced, herper, and we found 5 ring-necks and 1 speckled king (see my other spottings) in about an hour!