Northern Ring-Necked Snakes

The northern ring-necked snake is native to Ohio.  Found throughout Ohio except for the west-central and extreme northwestern counties they are quite common in southern and eastern Ohio.  They live in damp areas of forest habitats, along rocky streams, damp forested slopes and regenerating clear cuts.  They are one of the few snake species that will live in houses.  Houses with stone foundations and damp dirt-floor basements or crawl spaces are their favorites.

Although found throughout Ohio these snakes are rarely seen.  This is because they are mostly nocturnal.  They rarely leave their hiding places during the day – hiding under boulders, rocks, fallen trees, logs, branches, leaves and other vegetative litter.  If found in their hiding spot they usually seek immediate cover under the nearest object.  Although rarely seen during the day they can be seen crossing paths, roads, and sidewalks at night.

These small, slender, smooth-scaled, nonvenomous snakes are quite lovely.  Their coloring is slate gray to bluish black with a yellow to orange colored belly and a yellow to orange colored ring behind their head.  They can roll their tails into a tight coil and elevate showing you their orange or yellow colored belly.  Adults will reach 10 to 20 inches in length.  These little snakes are usually mild tempered when caught but will discharge a pungent substance from their musk glands and wiggle violently to escape. 

Ring-necked snakes eat worms, slugs, insects, small salamanders, small lizards and juvenile snakes of other species.  Though they are not true constrictors, they will wrap a coil around their prey.  Another interesting fact, they have a pair of elongated teeth toward the back of their upper jaws.  It’s believed these teeth evolved to allow them to better hold their prey.  Ring-necked snakes are prey for larger animals – bigger snakes, owls, skunks, raccoons, and bullfrogs, to name a few. Northern ring-necked snakes are an important member of the ecosystem.  The dark of night allows this little snake to hide from predators, forage for food and mate.  Let’s help the ring-necked snakes by turning off all unnecessary lights at night so they can have the dark nighttime environment they need to thrive and continue as an important member of their ecosystem.