Wow! I can't believe that this is my 60th video in this series!

With a new year and the weather warming once again, new animals that have not yet been featured in this series are showing up. I had planned on sharing about this one last year, but wasn't able to locate this creature in time. Mostly, we find a lot of them in the spring, so now I've got my chance.

The cover photo, proof photo, and some others were taken during my accidental B&W camera setting episode, but I did get some color photos to help with identification and to show you what they really look like.

THE RINGNECK SNAKE - ANOTHER WILD FRIEND

The Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus) AKA Ring-necked Snake is a smaller snake native to North America. It can be found in many areas in the United States down into Mexico, and also in Southeastern Canada. While it does have quite a home range and can be fairly common, it can be difficult to find.

The snakes are nocturnal, which leads to less interaction with humans than some other snakes. While it can be found in my native Wisconsin, I've never encountered any in that state even though I have spent some serious time looking. Here in the Ozarks, we frequently find them especially early in the year. In fact, three out of the seven snakes that we've found already this year have been Ringneck Snakes.

The Ringneck Snake can grow to lengths of just over a foot. They are brown or olive-colored on their backs, with a striking orange belly that eventually becomes more reddish towards the tail. While it is not present in every individual, the line of black spots running the length of the belly are common. These snakes can lay up to ten eggs, and feed mostly on slugs, earthworms, and salamanders.

The larger one featured in this video is somewhat grayish in coloration. This is because it is preparing to shed and the outer layer of skin will soon be removed. Another sign of this is a "glossy" appearance to the eyes. To hear more about these incredible creatures, check out the video!

The information is the video and post is original, but I did have a quick refresher from this source.