Pacific Ring-necked Snake

Diadophis punctatus amabilis

If you’re lucky enough to find a Pacific Ring Necked Snake you’ve truly met a little gem of the Pacific coast. They’re normally around 11 to 16 inches long and about the diameter of a pencil. They have smooth scales and are usually a darkish olive green color on their backs although they can vary from brown to almost black and even have spots!

You’ll immediately notice the nice orange to yellow color on their belly and around their neck and if they feel threatened they put on quite a show by coiling their tail upside down to show you the bright orange underside, this is a warning to you that they taste bad and please leave them alone.

They’re very shy and you’ll usually find them under logs, rocks or flagstones and sometimes in leaf litter.

They like to eat things like salamanders, slugs, tadpoles, small frogs and insects. It’s totally safe to gently pick up a Pacific Ring-Necked Snake to admire it and then move it to safety but they prefer cool temperatures and so don’t appreciate our warm hands, pockets or homes.