Northern Ring-necked Snake

Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR, Rori Paloski

Family: Colubridae (Non-venomous snakes)
Status: Common
Size: 10-15 inches

This snake is similar to the prairie ringneck in size and upper appearance but has a solid light yellow belly with no markings. Unlike most snakes, the northern ringneck makes its home in moist deciduous forests.

Species range (darker) in Wisconsin

Its diet consists of earthworms, beetles, salamanders, frogs, and other small snakes. The northern and prairie ringneck snakes may hybridize where their ranges overlap (see map below). Where this occurs, individual specimens often have belly patterns that represent a mix of characters from each subspecies.