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it progresses from orange to red on its tail. Unfortunately its tail seems to be lifeless..I think it must be broken either starting at its vent or just after.What are his chances in captivity? Also there are several colors of ringnecks around here, Ive caught several but always let them go the same day are these different kinds or just variations?.How do they do in captivity and what do they eat?

Last year I caught a really big one at least 3ft with a half decomposed baby hanging out its vent, at the time I had no idea what it was as it was solid grey but the baby had a ring around its neck..Thanks, Cee

If what I caught last year was indeed a ringneck it couldnt have been more than 30 inches but this thing was at least that. Also they are supposed to lay eggs so how is it that it had a decomposed baby halfway out of its vent?
The mother was solid grey with a cream belly, no ring around the neck but the baby was about six inches and had a reddish belly with a very defined neck ring...Was this a ringneck or not? BTW I live in KS..

Also what is a royal ringneck, I dont see this in the book at all?

Thanks Cee

From your last post, it sounds like you are talking about regal ringneck snakes, in most places(like Arizona for one)regal females can and will grow up to near 30 inches in length. You could have very well found a regal female in the process of giving birth, ringnecks do lay eggs, but their are reports of them giving live birth as well.

"Also they are supposed to lay eggs so how is it that it had a decomposed baby halfway out of its vent?" **Recently one of my snake eating northern ringnecks had a half digested snake hanging out of it's vent, it just didn't digest it fully and didn't regurgitate it. This could've been the case as well.**

Since you most likely have a regal ringneck, or atleast one of the western sub-species. You'll have good luck by feeding the snake other small snakes and small lizards. They are actually quite easy to maintain.
Michael
Michael's Place

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Michael_Fedzen@hotmail.com

I missed that past the first time, now it all changes. Can't be a regal, unless it is an escaped pet, it is either a Prairie Ringneck or a Northern(I'm pretty sure Prairies are there). I doubt you saw a 30 inch Prarie, as they rarely get to 15 inches in length. A 30 inch northern would be unbeleiveable as well. Those two snakes stick to eating worms and salamanders.
Michael
Michael's Place

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www.freewebs.com/mikesnake
Michael_Fedzen@hotmail.com

I actually picked that one up and it at least thumb thickness around and I know for sure it was bigger than 15 inches but the baby it had did have the characteristic ring and it was dark grey on top..Who knows I wish I had a pic of that one..The one I have now is not that big it is 9 or 10 inches long...DO you think it can live with a broken tail?
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Any snake can live with a broken tail, as it will heal in time, what makes you think it has a broken tail though??

There is a good chance that the snake you found giving birth(if it was giving birth) was a red belly snake, or a brown snake. But the snake couldn't have been more than 15 inches long, if that.
Michael
Michael's Place

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www.freewebs.com/mikesnake
Michael_Fedzen@hotmail.com

"Any snake can live with a broken tail, as it will heal in time, what makes you think it has a broken tail though??" It hangs limply from the vent area on down, otherwise it seems healthy..

"There is a good chance that the snake you found giving birth(if it was giving birth)"It was definitly giving birth as I pulled the half decomposed baby out.

"It was a red belly snake, or a brown snake. But the snake couldn't have been more than 15 inches long, if that."

Well I know for sure it wasnt a brown snake, and a red belly is a water snake and this was nowhere near the water but its not important Ill never really know...Thanks for the help

I might just keep this little guy for a few days and let it go again..

There is another snake related to the brown snake in the genus Storeria called the Red belly snake. It is much different from the red bellied waters. And BTW, water snakes don't have to be near water. I have found them far from water at times.
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Andy Maddox
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Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

"A yellow ribbon instead of a swastika. Nothin' proper about ya propaganda. Fools follow rules when the set commands ya. Said it was blue when ya blood was red. That's how ya got a bullet blasted through ya head"- Rage Against the Machine

Redbelly snake is not water snake, you can read further details about this snake on http://www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/reptiles/snakes/redbelly_snake.html

"There is a good chance that the snake you found giving birth(if it was giving birth)"It was definitly giving birth as I pulled the half decomposed baby out.

** That DOESN'T mean that it was giving birth, did you not read what I wrote before, one of my ringnecks was not giving birth to a partially digested shorthead garter snake, it was "going to the bathroom."**
Michael
Michael's Place

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www.freewebs.com/mikesnake
Michael_Fedzen@hotmail.com

Not !!! I fed my ringneck snake a salamander couple days ago, today a complete slightly decomposed salamder came off it's rear end. I have no clue why this happened, may be indigestion caused from my flashlight photo session on it's salamander feeding.

Like I said that happened to my northern ringneck, a few times actually, also with my scarlet kingsnake. So you got pics of your ringneck eating a salamander?
Michael
Michael's Place

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www.freewebs.com/mikesnake
Michael_Fedzen@hotmail.com

Yes, I get photos of the whole feeding session from tail to head, but my camera is 35mm which is not very good for close up shooting. I will post it as soon as I finish the rest of the film.

I use a 35mm as well, and they certainly do suck.
Michael
Michael's Place

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www.freewebs.com/mikesnake
Michael_Fedzen@hotmail.com

a yellow bellied racer. They can be pretty gray looking on top
and 30 inches is an average length adult. They eat snakes like
ringneck snakes do and what you describes sounds like it ate
and didn't thoroughly digest a ringneck snake. It may have been
hard for it to pass the undigested ringneck and that is why it was
hanging out of the vent.

Regal ringneck snakes aren't native to Kansas and would have red
or orange on the tail like the smaller ringneck you are describing.
Prarie ringnecks are very common in Kansas and 100's are sometimes
found under a single cover object.

I hope that helps.

>>If what I caught last year was indeed a ringneck it couldnt have been more than 30 inches but this thing was at least that. Also they are supposed to lay eggs so how is it that it had a decomposed baby halfway out of its vent?
>> The mother was solid grey with a cream belly, no ring around the neck but the baby was about six inches and had a reddish belly with a very defined neck ring...Was this a ringneck or not? BTW I live in KS..
>>
>>Also what is a royal ringneck, I dont see this in the book at all?
>>
>>Thanks Cee