Can Ringneck Snakes Be Pets?
A picture of ringneck snake bright color chin
Did you know ringneck snakes have a fair share in the exotic pet trade market? Maybe because of their stunning beauty and temperance. And that is why this article is going to discuss every tiny detail about ringneck snakes. And if you are a beginner snake keeper, ringneck serpents are the best. But keep reading as we the most exciting facts about ringneck snakes, frequently asked questions, and how to care for them.
Before we even dive deeper, let me give you a breakdown of the topics we are going to discuss for easy navigation.
- Ringneck snake fun facts
- Are ringneck snakes suitable for beginners?
- Ringneck snake lifespan in captivity
- Ringneck snake full grown size
- Ringneck snake bite
- Ringneck snake habitat
- Ringneck snake health and behavior
- Ringneck snake diet
- Ringneck snakes reproduction
- Ringneck snake for sale
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These are the major topics that we are going to explain in detail to you. Keep reading!
Ringnecks snakes are present throughout the United States. They are slender, beautiful snakes with a bright-colored band that are yellow, orange, or red around their necks. They come in different colors, mainly grey, black, and dark blue. They can easily be identified by the bright yellow colored ring around their neck that extends through the belly and grades to red towards the tail.
Ringneck snakes attract most people because of their beauty. However, it is not good to capture one from the wild. Ringneck snakes barely survive in captivity, and it is, therefore, best if you buy one from a pet shop.
Now that we know how ringneck snakes look like let’s now dive into our essential topics.
Ringneck Snake Fun Facts
- Ringnecks lays her eggs in moist places and then leaves the eggs to hatch on their own.
- Ringneck snakes are almost 4 inches at the time of hatching, and they are usually very active at birth. They do not need their mother to feed them as they can take care of themselves at birth.
- They are anti-social when around other animals but very social among themselves. They live in a colony of between 6 to 100 ringneck snakes.
- Ringneck snakes rarely attack. They’d instead run and hide but coils their tails showing their bright-colored chin and belly to scare away the predator when threatened. The snake emits a very foul smell and will only try to bite if this doesn’t work.
- Ringneck has a large market size as snake pet keepers love them for their beautiful color and peaceful nature.
Are Ringneck Snakes Good For Beginners?
If you are a beginner snake pet keeper, this might be the perfect snake for you. However, this will only work if you love small animals as ringneck snakes will only grow to a length of 15 inches.
Ringneck snakes only have a small amount of venom that cannot harm a human. If you are a beginner and you are not yet confident in handling snakes, ringneck snakes are perfect pets for you.
Continue reading this article for more facts about ringnecks that will help you decide if the snake will suit your desires.
Ringneck Snake Lifespan in Captive
Ringneck snakes have an average life span of 10 years. On some rare occasions, ringneck snakes have also recorded a lifespan of 20 years in the wilderness. Unlike ball python and other snakes, which record longer lifespan in captivity, ringneck snakes have a shorter life span of 6 years.
What is the maximum ringneck full-grown size?
This picture shows ringneck snakes are slender and small
Ringneck snakes are small in size. They have a thickness of a pencil and a length of 10 to 18 inches. Female ringneck snakes get more significant than their male counterparts. Their babies at the time of hatching are 4 inches long.
Can Ringneck Snake Bite?
Ringneck snakes are not aggressive. They run and hide and will only try to attack when they feel cornered. Though they have mild venom, it can only affect small prey. The poison does not affect humans at all. Ringneck snake bite can only feel like a bee sting to humans.
Ringneck snakes have small fangs that can barely harm a human. Ringneck snakes cannot widely open their mouth to bite a human. If you are a beginner snake pet keeper, ringnecks make perfect pets because of their inability to bite a human and ineffective venom.
Ringneck snakes attack their prey by constriction. For prominent victims, they use both contraction and biting.
Ringneck Snake Habitat
Range habitat
Ringneck snakes have a broad geographical range in North and Eastern America. They are popular throughout the U.S and Southern parts of Canada.
They love staying in wet, dump, and swampy areas but not in direct contact with water. It is, therefore, easy to find them in moisturized soil, under the rocks, loose bark of a tree, and in woodlands, especially near the rocks.
Habitat in captivity
Ringneck snakes love to hide, and it is, therefore, imperative to consider hiding places when making its cage. The cage should be 10 gallons and have a wire mesh at the top to prevent the snake from escaping. It should have harrowed logs and caves to present the snake with hiding places.
The cage should also have 3 inches of soil. You should spray the soil regularly to make it moist. Moist soil helps the snake to burrow and hide and hence reduce stress in captivity.
Ringneck Snake Health and Behavior
Ringneck snakes, just like other serpents, are not expressive, and it is, therefore, not easy to tell when they are sick. However, they will show some signs and symptoms that will help you determine when they are sick.
Sign and Symptoms of a Sick Ringneck Snake
- Breathing through the mouth
Snakes should breathe comfortably through their nostrils. Heavy breathing and breathing through the mouth in snakes is a common sign of sickness.
- Discharge
Any kind of discharge, either through the nose, mouth, or eyes, should be an alarming sign of sickness in your pet. You should consult your snake vet immediately if this kind of symptom presents itself.
- Lethargy
Your snake should respond to sounds and movement. If your snake is just stagnant even when there is motion or sound, you should consider consulting your snake vet for diagnosis.
- Lack of appetite
Snakes feed only once or twice a week. However, if your snake refuses to eat when it’s time, you should inquire from the snake vet for a proper diagnosis.
These four are the most common symptoms of sickness in serpents. If you notice any of the signs above, do not hesitate to consult your snake vet immediately.
Ringneck Snake Diet
Feed ringneck snakes 2 or 3 times a week. They mostly feed on lizards, small salamanders, frogs, earthworms, slugs, and other small species of snakes.
In captivity, you can feed your snake with insects such as crickets and slugs. Most ringneck snakes prefer earthworms, but depending on the native habitat of the snake, some entirely feed on red-backed salamanders.
Ringneck snake Reproduction
A picture of ringneck Snakes Mating
Ringneck snakes mate once a year, usually in spring-fall. Female ringneck snakes release pheromones to attract the male when it’s mating season. The male bites the female around the neck, and it aligns its body with the females and releases sperms.
The female lays her eggs in June or early July. Ringneck snakes can lay three to 10 eggs at once.
Several ringneck snakes can lay eggs in a single nest. They lay their eggs in moist locations and then leave them on their own to hatch.
At the time of hatching, ringneck snake babies are mature enough to feed on their own. They do not need their mothers to feed and protect them.
The babies will take three years to reach maturity for both sexes.
Ringneck Snakes Cost
Ringneck snakes are not expensive. You can get a small ringneck snake at the cost of $6 and an adult at $29. Buying one is cheap, but you must consider other expenses like a cage, license, and feeding.
Keeping ringneck snakes is allowed in many states in the United States. However, you will need a license to keep one. You can check your state’s regulations to see how much it’s going to cost you to own one.
A small snake cage will cost around $60.
Can You Train Your Snake?
You can train serpents but not like dogs or cats. Snakes learn using a routine that they can follow. You cannot instruct a snake to perform tasks like a dog.
Unlike dogs and cats, handle snakes only thrice or once a week so that it can get comfortable around you. For serpents such as ringnecks are quite shy, and they prefer to hide most of the time. They are nocturnal creatures, and hence they prefer hiding during the day. They are very active during the night.
Can ringneck snakes be pets? Well, I hope we have answered this question well. Ringneck snakes can be perfect pets for people who love small serpents and for beginners who are afraid of snake bite.
If you still have other questions about ringneck snakes, leave a comment below.
Source
- https://petponder.com/interesting-facts-about-ring-necked-snakes
- https://backwaterreptilesblog.com/tag/ringneck-snake/
- https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Diadophis_punctatus/
- https://www.snakesforpets.com/are-ringneck-snakes-poisonous/
- https://animalcarehospital.org/2018/02/15/marion-ia-vet-signs-sickness-snakes/