Is Anybody Else Interested In Ringnecks? (snakes)

I just love ringneck snakes! They are super cute. I just wanted to help spread awareness about this species (like, they aren't endangered, but they're a great starter snake!).
As for care:
Length: 10-12" for males, 12-14" for females
Lifespan: 15-20 years

Temperament:
Extremely easy to handle. It's extremely rare for them to bite. Like, you almost have to try to even have a chance. They are rear-fanged, but their mouths are so tiny that they can't really get through the skin except for the webbing between your fingers. (WildWesJames has a good video up on YouTube about his reaction).

Feeding:
These guys usually take pretty readily to eating earthworms. Yes, you read that right, earthworms. Occasionally, a wild-caught northern ringneck snake will need to be fed salamanders, but usually you can eventually train them to eat earthworms.

Tank Requirements:
Similar to a scaled-down garter snake. They are typically kept in 10G's. In a breeding situation, you can house up to a male and two females together, but normally two females would be the max. You want a fairly large water dish, as they do like water, but the tank shouldn't be too humid, or they will develop blisters. You want the humidity at about 40-50% max. Otherwise, keep as you would keep a garter or corn snake.

Subspecies:
There are twelve subspecies, the southern is the most common, the northern is the second most common. You can tell them apart because the southerns will have a pattern on their cute little bellies.

Morphs/Colors:
So far, these guys aren't bred much in captivity, and they aren't usually sought after by herpers, so we have only discovered two so far: the albino, and the brown. (Besides normals) I do not know whether either of those animals were bred, but I do know that they were both found in the panhandle of Florida.

Another quick note: Please check your local laws before acquiring these cuties. They are native to the US, so it may be illegal in your area to keep them.

 

OMG I would love one!!

 

Makes sense they like worms and slugs. I caught my first one in my mother's garden years ago. Surprsingly fast burrower, almost lost it. I released it after a week or two in captivity. Too jumpy and refused to eat. Beautiful snake though. Were you able to tame yours?

 

That sounds cool! If I was going to have a snake I would get a cornsnake. Love them! I found two ringnecks when I was backpacking a week ago. It was really cool and we picked it up easily - no aggression.

 

McSeb you can either look under rocks in areas like gardens or forests, or you can get them for $30 apiece at Backwater Reptiles.

 

They're just so tiny and delicate I don't see them being great pets. Too easy to accidentally break ribs just holding them. So I tend to leave them outside. We have a population of them around here. They also take the tiny brown peeper frogs on occassion. Pic is one I caught last week for a few minutes to show a yankee friend who didnt realize we had such tiny snakes. Yes that's a cricket near her tail for size comparison. They are tiny.
The southern variety I have are orange on the belly which fades into red at the tail, very pretty.

 

Ringnecks are protected in Michigan, it's illegal to collect them here. A lot of Herps are being protected these days, check your state laws before you go looking. The fact that they are rear fanged is news to me. I used to be into snakes, and never saw any around my area, though several acquaintances reported seeing one occasionally. Always wanted to find one, as they don't get too large. Would be interesting to keep.