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Project Noah Nature School
Diadophis puntatus regalis
A true beauty! The dorsum of ringnecks vary quite a bit among subspecies from blueish to grayish to light brown to greenish-slate-gray. A golden ring around the neck gives them their name although in some subspecies, such as in this specimen (D. punctatus regalis) the ring may be absent altogether or barely marked. The abdomen is a most impressive orange-yellow which turn to a bright orange-red toward the posterior. The abdomen may also present several black spots (mostly occur in subspecies). So beautiful!
This specimen was found in the Trans-Pecos region of the Chihuahuan desert in an open relatively flat desert area dominated by creosote.
This was a very exciting find because this is a species that prefers moist habitats but was found in the very dry Chihuahuan desert. Though, it had emerged after some sporadic heavy rainfall. They are an incredibly beautiful subspecies and remains my favorite snake species of the region.
Spotted on Apr 28, 2013
Submitted on Aug 10, 2014
2 Comments
This is a slightly venomous species, when alarmed they flip over to ward off potential predators by sending a message through aposomatic coloration (warning coloration). They also release a very foul musky odor when alarmed or provoked as another strategy to keep predators away. Incredible species.
Beautiful pics RSR! What a gorgeous snake! I'm a bit confused though - is it just turning itself over (the orange to gray to orange) or is that how it moves across the sand? Thank you for sharing :)