A-luring Tails
Posted by Alisha Bachan on July 24, 2005
Q: I live in South Florida and i was gardening, when i saw a black snake with a red ring around his neck. What kind of snake was it and is it harmful?
Habitat: suburban/yard
State: Florida
Habitat: suburban/yard
A: Sounds like a Ringneck Snake to me. Ringnecks are small — up to around 15 inches long — harmless invertebrate-eating snakes found throughout the eastern US. There are many subspecies of ringneck — you would probably encounter the Southern Ringneck in your area. Ringneck snakes typically have dark grey to black backs, yellow to red bellies, often darker red toward the tail, with black spots on the belly and a yellowish ring around the neck. The Southern Ringneck has a single row of distinct, moon-shaped black spots on the belly and the ring around the neck is usually reddish and broken by dark pigment.
Solon Morse ( July 26, 2005)