THE REPTILES OF OHIO 39 



lower half of rostral yellowish, very rarely marked with a few black dots. Top 

 of head somewhat darker than remainder of dorsal surface. 



Juveniles similar to adults but frequently darker above. Many rural resi- 

 dents think the ring-necked snake is the young of the black racer. 



Specimens examined, 149; specimens preserved, HI; specimens studied, 85. 



Range. — The mountains of the Carolinas through the Appalachians north- 

 ward to the northern peninsula of Michigan, Wisconsin, southern Canada and 

 the Maritime Provinces. 



Ring-necked snakes occur throughout a large part of Ohio and may range 

 throughout the state, but the available records are all from the eastern and 

 southern counties and those bordering Lake Erie (Map 7) . Specimens appear 

 to be rare in the heavily mined areas and especially in the hills which have 

 been denuded of their timber for many years. In the western counties, which 

 are largely devoted to agriculture, this species has not yet been taken. Possi- 

 bly it may occur in the remaining wood patches, in stream valleys or in other 

 favorable places in this area, but careful search has failed to reveal its pres- 

 ence. Whether it has always been rare or absent here, whether it has been 

 reduced in numbers or exterminated by the destruction of its habitat, or 

 whether the technique of the collectors has been at fault cannot be stated. 

 Records are: 



Adams County: Green Twp. (OSM 78. T) ; 3 mi. W of Rarden (TZS 1071). 

 Ashland County: Clear Fork State Park, Hanover Twp. (TZS 2220). Ashta- 

 bula County: Monroe Twp. (OSM 215.1-.2); Pymatuning Swamp near Andover 

 (TZS 1027, 1646): Rock Creek (OSM 204.1). Athens County': Near Athens 

 (OU); Canaan Twp. (TZS 1050-1). Clermont CountY: (CSNH 1981): Union 

 Twp. (CSNH 1402, 1555-6, 1718; TZS 1965). Cuyahoga County: Cleveland 

 (CMNH; USNM 1899). Erie County: Near Village Creek, E of Milan (SHS); 

 Fairfield County: Sugar Grove (OSM 2.1-.2, 3.1-.2, 183). Franklin County: 

 Hayden's Falls, Norwich Twp. (OSM 471). Greene CountY: Yellow Springs 

 (MCZ 746). Hamilton County: (Morse, 1904; CSNH 1973). Highland Coun- 

 ty: 2 mi. S of Carmel (TZS 1499-501); near Hillsboro (TZS 1716-7). HoCKiNG 

 County': Conkle's Hollow, E of Haynes (OSM 358); Clear Creek, Good Hope 



Twp. (OSM 79, 80.1, 172.1 -.2, 419; TZS 297, 1058-9); Salt Creek Twp. (AS, 

 OSM 300.I-.2; TZS 971-6). Knox County: Edlam, Greer P. O. (OSM 190.2-.3). 

 Lake County: Painesville (OSM 433.1). Lorain County: Oberlin (OC). Lucas 

 County: Sylvania (TZS 110, 1446). Meigs County: Pomeroy (OSM 233.1). 

 Monroe County: Jackson Twp. (TZS 484). Morgan County: Malta Twp. 

 (OSM 373). Muskingum County: (CSNH 2009); Zanesville (OSM 474). 

 Ottawa County: Catawba Island (BGSU. TZS 722, 1692); Danbury Twp. (TZS 

 1183-92); N. of Sandusky Bay (UMMZ 52070); Put-in-Bay (SL). PiCKAWAY 

 County: Circleville (OSM 255.3). Pike County: Laurel Ridge, Sunfish Twp. 

 (TZS 1078-9). Ross County: Bainbridge (BHFM 132); Colerain Twp. (TZS 

 298-300); Huntinaton Twp. (TZS 1821); Rattlesnake Knob, Harrison Twp. (TZS 

 301). Scioto County: Near Bear Creek, Morgan Twp. (TZS 1871); 8 mi. SW 

 of Otway (TZS 1885-6). Summit County: Ira (OSM 77, 292). Trumbull 

 County: Kinsman (USNM 60024); Vernon Twp. (TZS 334. 1012). Tuscarawas 

 County: Dover (CSNH 1976). Vinton County: 1 mi. W of AllensviUe (TZS 

 294-6); Harrison Twp. (TZS 980-2. 1166). Warren County: Foster (CSNH 

 1241). Washington County: Harmar. W. Marietta (TZS 2010); Marietta (MC, 

 USNM 7286). Wayne County: Miller's Pond, Wooster (WC). 



