Diadophis punctatus edwardsii
| Diadophis punctatus edwardsii | |
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| Northern ringneck snake | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Dipsadinae |
| Genus: | Diadophis |
| Species: | D. punctatus |
| Subspecies: | D. p. edwardsii |
| Trinomial name | |
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Diadophis punctatus edwardsii (Merrem, 1820) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Diadophis punctatus edwardsii, commonly known as the Northern ringneck snake, is a subspecies of Diadophis punctatus. It is endemic to North America.
The subspecific name, edwardsii, is in honor of English ornithologist George Edwards, who collected the type specimen.
The Northern ringneck snake has a body color from bluish grey to black, with a complete narrow yellow or orange ring around its neck and an underside matching the ring and generally lacking any dark spotting or patterning. The complete ring and lack of large dark spots on the belly differentiate it from other subspecies of D. punctatus. In some regions, there are areas of intergradation with other subspecies. Generally from 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimetres) long as an adult, they can reach more than two feet (61 cm) in length.
In Canada it is found in the southern parts of Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick, and also in Nova Scotia. In the United States it is found throughout New England, the Mid-Atlantic states, and the Great Lakes region, and also at higher elevations in the South. More specifically, it is found in the following: NE Alabama, Connecticut, NW Georgia, SE Illinois, S Indiana, Kentucky, W Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, NE Minnesota, N New Jersey, New York, W North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, extreme NW South Carolina, E Tennessee, W (western) Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Florida.
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