A-luring Tails
Posted by Joyce Roberts on October 2, 2003
Q: Last night I found what I was told was a ringnecked snake in my bathroom. It was about 6 inches long, black, but had a red ring around its neck. Would this be a ringneck? I live in south Georgia. I am very afraid of snakes and want to be assured that this is a harmless snake and that I do not need to worry about more being in my house.
Thank you.
A: Yes, it sounds like a Ringneck Snake. The southern subspecies has a break in the ring on the back of the neck. Usually the ring is yellow or yellowish orange. Ringneck Snakes are small snakes and quite harmless. Certainly, if you pick up a snake, its instinct is to bite in defense but other than that, it is truely harmless. It must have found a small entrance into your house and has gotten "lost" in your home. Sometimes snakes will enter a basement that's dark and damp as a good place to hide and then gets into the home inadvertently. I doubt you'll have others but you can always look around the outside of your home to be sure there aren't any easy places for snakes to get in.
I know snakes can be scary but they're an important part of a healthy environment so use a long stick to move them back outside. Good luck.
John Wiessinger ( October 2, 2003)