![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Coral-belly_Ringneck_Snake_%2528Diadophis_punctatus_ssp._pulchellus%2529.jpg/640px-Coral-belly_Ringneck_Snake_%2528Diadophis_punctatus_ssp._pulchellus%2529.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Ring-necked snake
Species of snake / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Ring-necked snake?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Diadophis punctatus, commonly known as the ring-necked snake or ringneck snake, is a rather small, harmless species of colubrid snake found throughout much of the United States, as well as south in Central Mexico and as far north as Quebec, Canada. Ring-necked snakes are generally fossorial and somewhat secretive, by nature, and, as a nocturnal species, are rarely seen during the daytime. These snakes are believed to be fairly abundant throughout most of their range, though no scientific evaluation supports this hypothesis. Scientific research is lacking for the species, despite their apparently common status, and more in-depth investigations are greatly needed.[4] It is the only species within the genus Diadophis and, currently, 14 subspecies are identified, though many herpetologists question the morphologically-based classifications.[5]
Ring-necked snake | |
---|---|
![]() | |
A ring-necked snake in Sacramento County, California | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Colubridae |
Genus: | Diadophis Baird & Girard, 1853 |
Species: | D. punctatus |
Binomial name | |
Diadophis punctatus (Linnaeus, 1766) | |
Synonyms[2][3] | |
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Southern_Ringneck_snake%2C_Diadophis_punctatus.jpg/640px-Southern_Ringneck_snake%2C_Diadophis_punctatus.jpg)
The ring-necked snake is perhaps best-known for its unique defensive posture: when threatened, it curls its tail into a tight coil, partially rolls onto its back, and shows its bright red-orange underside and ventral surface. In nature, vivid coloration on an animal generally serves as a warning to others that it is not afraid of delivering a dose of venom, or that it is poisonous if eaten; this "false warning" coloration is a form of mimicry, a survival adaptation in which a non-venomous species (i.e., the ring-necked snake) has evolved brighter coloration, similar to truly venomous species, and used it to their advantage. Another example is seen in certain milksnakes and kingsnakes (Lampropeltis sp.) which have red, yellow, white or black stripes, an adaptation meant to confuse predators by visually mimicking the venomous coral snakes (Elapidae) which share much of their range.