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Prairie Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus arnyi)
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Family: Colubridae
Size: 12-14 in.
Status: Special Concern
Description: A bright yellow-orange neck ring should help to identify this snake. It is distinguished from the northern ringneck by a yellow-orange belly and bright orange-red on the underside of its tail, with black half-moon spots scattered across the belly scales. Both subspecies, the prairie ringneck and northern ringneck, are colored slate blue/black on the back. Prairie ringnecks are highly secretive, spending most of the day under flat rocks along south-exposed road cuts and bluff prairies. In the spring and fall, they stay on the sides of open bluffs but move to moister places in summer. Their diet includes insects, salamanders, frogs, and other small snakes.
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