I wanted to see one of these this summer, and I was pleasantly surprised to find one resting for a moment on the trail the other day.
This snake has a beautiful two-toned coloration. It is slate gray to green above. On its underside and a small ring just behind its head is a striking bright reddish-orange or yellow. When disturbed, it coils the tail upward to reveal the bright underside as a defense strategy to deter a predator. Colors such as red, yellow, and orange are often associated with venomous species. In addition, this flash of color can be used to temporarily confuse a predator while it makes it escape.
On the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) website, it had the following to say about the ring-necked snake:
“The ringneck snake requires moist micro-habitats such as downed logs, rocks, or stumps. It is found in a variety of vegetation types, but is most closely associated with pine-oak woodlands and moist canyon bottoms. It also can be abundant in Willamette Valley grasslands.
These snakes feed mainly on small lizards, snakes and salamanders and also slugs, earthworms, frogs, and insects.”
References
ODFW website - snakes
ODFW Living with Wildlife - Snakes
