Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Taken yesterday. Remember the discussion we had about ringnecks over in the field notes forum??
I found these two ringnecks under the same cover in Hardin county KY. Well within northern range, and out of MS range.

This one is textbook northern....unbroken collar and nice clean yellow belly.....

Now this one is the largest ringneck I have ever found, field measured at 18". A honker compared to every other ringneck I have ever found! Unbroken collar, nice slate gray body....

But check out the belly!!!

Very heavily patterned and not typical of the Northern coloration. Could be attributed to age?? I dont know, but both of these snakes were found side by side! The first one was probably 8 - 10" in length, the average size of what I find.
Your thoughts?
Brian
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RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath"(KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Great plains rat snake "Reign Fire" (TX locale)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Yellow rat snake "Wolverine" (Dwight Good stock)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

Nice clean northern above....

But the one below, my lord lol. Ok... It obviously has some northern ringneck in it, look at the head, the head shape and position of the ring tells me not only it has northern in it, but that it's an adult female. But the ventral, that's a whole 'nother story. Going straight down the ventral is a row of spots, suggesting southern ringneck snake genes got in there at one point. BUT, also along the sides of the ventral (leaning up towards the dorsal area) are more spots... Add that into the fact that some of the ventral spots going in the straight line have more spots next to them, that says mississippi ringneck. Man, a 3 way intergrade lol. That sucks. Who knows how there is still a pure northern in that area, but I think someone should write up this intergration area.
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
www.freewebs.com/mikesnake
www.captivebredforum.com

I kind of thought you would like that one!! Ill keep them coming as I find them!
Brian

>>Nice clean northern above....
>>
>>But the one below, my lord lol. Ok... It obviously has some northern ringneck in it, look at the head, the head shape and position of the ring tells me not only it has northern in it, but that it's an adult female. But the ventral, that's a whole 'nother story. Going straight down the ventral is a row of spots, suggesting southern ringneck snake genes got in there at one point. BUT, also along the sides of the ventral (leaning up towards the dorsal area) are more spots... Add that into the fact that some of the ventral spots going in the straight line have more spots next to them, that says mississippi ringneck. Man, a 3 way intergrade lol. That sucks. Who knows how there is still a pure northern in that area, but I think someone should write up this intergration area.
>>-----
>>Mike
>>KingPin Reptiles Inc.
>>www.freewebs.com/mikesnake
>>www.captivebredforum.com
-----

RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath"(KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Great plains rat snake "Reign Fire" (TX locale)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Yellow rat snake "Wolverine" (Dwight Good stock)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian