Ring Neck Snake
(Diadophis punctatus)

The Northern Ringneck Snake is usually 10 to 30 inches long. The body of the ring neck snake is generaly black, olive or gray with a yellow, orange or cream ring around the neck. The belly is usually a bright yellow, red or orange and often has black spots.

Difficulty

NOVICE: The ribbon, water, or neck snake is one of the best snakes to start with if you are new to keeping reptiles and amphibians.

Requirements

An enclosure, such as:

• Glass or acrylic aquarium (5 to 10 gallons, depending on the size of the ring neck snake) with a secure lid with clamps

Substrate, such as:

• Non-fertilized Soil
• Sphagnum Moss
• Fine Caribean Play Sand
• Peat Moss

A heating element, such as:

• Under the tank heater
• Incandescent heat bulb
• Ceramic infrared heat emitters

Enclosure

The size of the enclosure you will need for your Ring neck snakes depends on the size of the snake. Young hatchling Ring neck snakes will often be timid and scared in too large of an enclosure while adult Ring neck snakes will need a larger enclosure to move around in and feel more comfortable. For younger, Ring neck snakes, you can use a 5 gallon aquarium. Adult Ring neck snakes should be housed in a larger enclosure like a 10 gallon (or larger) aquarium.

It is also important to provide your Ring neck snake with multiple areas to hide. There are many comercially available caves that can be purchased from your favorite pet supply store, or you can use things like flower pots, plastic containers, or just about anything that is big enough for your Ring neck snake to completely crawl into and can provide a dark place to hide. Many hobbyists also like to decorate their enclosure with drift wood and other decoration. The choices are limitless and you can make your enclosure as sparse or as ornate as you wish, depending on your own desires.

Always remember that Ring neck snakes, like all snakes are escape artists. They will always test your enclosure to see if they can get out. For this reason, you will always want to make sure that your enclosure has a secure lid that the snake can not push open. Be sure to use a screen top with enough clamps to prevent the ring neck snake from pushing open the top.

Substrate

The substrate or bedding that you use is one of the most important parts of your Ring neck snake's home, since your snake will be spending all of its time on it. A mix that works well is a third peat moss, a third fine Caribean play sand, and a third non-fertilized soil. Place about two to three inches of the substrate at the bottom of the aquarium and keep it moist. This can be acheived by frequent mistings through the week. A water dish large enough for the ring neck snake to completely climb into should also be provided as well as some sphagnum moss for the ring neck snake to hide under. If the substrate loose enough they will burrow into it. Be sure to stay away from cedar or pine shavings as these can cause health problems for your Ring neck snake.

Heating and Light

Ring neck snakes like an ambient daytime temperature of 70°F to 75°F with nighttime temperatures of 65°F to 70°F. A basking spot of 80°F to 85°F should be provided during the day. These temperatures can be achieved by using under the tank heaters, incadescent basking bulbs, or ceramic emitters. We recommend using a timer to automatically turn off your daytime heating and lighting elements at night. It's important to check these temperatures regularly with a thermometer. Many hobbyists will install thermometers or thermostats in the enclsosure to be able to accurately maintain these temperatures. We do not recommend the use of any kind of heat rocks as they can often lead to burns on your ring neck snake.

Diet

Ring neck snakes have a varied diet. Items such as earthworms, red worms, and other insects can be offered. It's important that you feed the appropriate sized prey to your ring neck snake. If the prey is too small, it may not be getting all the nutrtion that it needs, if it is too large it may spit the prey back up. A good rule to follow is to feed prey that is about 1½ times the size of the largest portion of your Ring neck snake's body. Generally your snake will only need to eat about once a week, but younger Ring neck snakes may need to be fed more often. Your ring neck snake's appetite may also decrease in the winter months. As long as your snake still has good muscle tone, this is usually not anything to worry about. Fresh water should be provided at all times. When feeding your Ring neck snake, it is important that you feed it seperately from other snakes and in an area of the enclosure that is free from smaller wood shavings or other small items that could be inadvertently ingested with the food.