Breeding
Ring-necked snakes usually mate in the spring. However, in some subspecies mating occurs in the fall, and delayed implantation occurs. Females attract males by secreting pheromones from their skin. Once the male finds a female he starts by rubbing his closed mouth along the female’s body. Then the male bites the female around her neck ring maneuvering to align their bodies so sperm can be inserted into the female’s vent. Females lay their eggs in loose aerated soils under a rock or in a rotted log. Three to ten eggs are deposited in early summer and hatch in August or September. The egg is elongate with a white color contrasted by yellow ends. When hatched, juveniles are precocial and fend for themselves without parental care.
Read more about this topic: Diadophis Punctatus
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