The Ring-necked Snakes 



Dark gray or blackish; yellow or red beneath. 



SONORAN RING-NECKED SNAKE, D. 



Distribution. Central region Ohio to Colorado; 

 southward into Mexico. 



Several varieties are worthy of notice and will be treated 

 in the detailed descriptions that follow: 



THE EASTERN RING-NECKED SNAKE 

 Diadophis punctatus, (Linn.) 



The body is moderately slender and the head quite flat, 

 though not very distinct from the neck. The scales are in fifteen 

 oblique rows and the plates of the abdomen not including 

 those under the tail exist to a number of 140 to 160. An adult 

 specimen is about fourteen inches long. 



Colouration. Dark gray above, with a ring of bright yellow 

 around the neck, immediately behind the head. The abdomen 

 is orange yellow and the intersection of the gray of the upper 

 surface with the pale hue beneath occurs at the edges of the 

 abdominal plates; the gray extends in wedge-shaped fashion 

 over the edge of each plate, producing a sharply serrated border 

 of the colour. 



There is often a single row of black spots on the centre of 

 the abdomen. 



Very young specimens are blackish rather than gray and 

 the yellow half-collar is vividly defined. A half-grown specimen 

 from Marion County, Florida, is rather unique in colouring. 

 Above, it is jet-black with a narrow ring of coral red, broken 

 at the top of the neck. The abdomen is deep yellow, with a 

 row of large, black spots in the centre; the underside of the tail 

 is brilliant, coral red. 



Dimensions. A mature specimen, taken in Sullivan County, 

 New York, shows the following, average measurements: % 



Total Length ............................. 13 inches. 



Length of Tail ............................ 2 | 



Greatest Diameter ........................ -A- " 



Width of Head 



The largest specimen examined by the writer was taken at 

 Forestine, Sullivan County, New York. Its measurements are 

 given : 



334 



