Wednesday, April 16th
April's meeting will focus on how to safely handle and present your reptile to the public. Please feel free to bring your own animal to show off.
Meetings start promptly at 8pm in the Alumni Room of Medaille College.
Annual Banquet
PLEASE NOTE: The annual banquet and recognition dinner will be rescheduled due to conflicts. The new date will likely be a Saturday in May, please contact a board member for more information.
Northern Ringneck Snake
(Diadophis punctatus)
Photo Courtesy of Will Still
Click for larger image
The Northern Ringneck Snake is 10 - 30 inches in length. The body is usually black, olive or gray with a yellow, orange or cream ring around the neck. The belly is usually a bright yellow, red or orange and often has black spots.
They mate in the spring or fall and will lay 1 - 10 eggs in June or July in communal nesting sites. The eggs are about one inch long are white or yellowish in color. The young hatch about eight weeks later and are usually 4 - 6 inches long.
The Northern Ringneck Snake is secretive and can most often be found hiding under rocks and logs. If threatened this snake will coil around the tail and flash its colorful belly. If continued to be bothered or handled it will rarely bite but will emit a strong musk scent. When hunting they will often partially constrict their prey which include earthworms, slugs, salamanders, lizards and smaller snakes.
Remember that in many places it is illegal to take wildlife out of the wild without the proper permits from local, state, or federal authorities. Please do not release any captive reptiles or amphibians into the wild as this will disrupt the natural order of our environment. See our amphibian and reptile adoptions page for more information on what to do with unwanted herps.
Help further herpetology research and education by donating to the Marvin R. Aures Herpetological Grant