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Regal Ringneck Snake
Diadophis puntatus regalis
30.8214, -105.009
Field Notes
Description:
A true beauty! The dorsum of ringnecks vary quite a bit among subspecies from blueish to grayish to light brown to greenish-slate-gray. A golden ring around the neck gives them their name although in some subspecies, such as in this specimen (D. punctatus regalis) the ring may be absent altogether or barely marked. The abdomen is a most impressive orange-yellow which turn to a bright orange-red toward the posterior. The abdomen may also present several black spots (mostly occur in subspecies). So beautiful!
Habitat:
This specimen was found in the Trans-Pecos region of the Chihuahuan desert in an open relatively flat desert area dominated by creosote.
Notes:
This was a very exciting find because this is a species that prefers moist habitats but was found in the very dry Chihuahuan desert. Though, it had emerged after some sporadic heavy rainfall. They are an incredibly beautiful subspecies and remains my favorite snake species of the region.
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