How to Take Care of Ring Necked Snakes

Enclosure

• 1

  Keep your ringneck snake securely inside of a 10 gallon aquarium with a built-in sliding screen. Sliding screens prevent escape better than lock tops. If you do use a lock top, use extra clips to secure it.

• 2

  Fill the aquarium with a substrate made of equal parts peat moss, fine play sand and unfertilized soil. Mix them together loosely in the bottom of the enclosure 2 inches deep. Keep the substrate moist by misting it once per day with water.

• 3

  Recreate the habitat that a ringneck would normally live in. A ringneck snake likes plenty of places to hide so add some sphagnum moss, artificial caves and even old flower pots.

• 4

  Add a heat lamp at one end of the enclosure to allow the snake to warm itself. Set the lamp up on a timer that cuts off in the evenings to help keep the temperature from getting too hot.

• 5

  Install a thermometer inside the cage to make sure the temperature stays regulated. Keep daytime temperatures around 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with a basking spot of about 85 degrees Fahrenheit. At night, keep temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Diet and Daily Care

• 6

  Feed your ringneck snake once per week. Younger snakes might eat twice per week. Feed them by hand or drop the food inside the cage. The advantage of feeding by hand is that the snake does not swallow substrate.

• 7

  Consider the size of your snake when deciding what to feed it. Offer it prey that is slightly larger than its biggest body section. Feed it earthworms, salamanders, small snakes, red worms and even insects that are size appropriate.

• 8

  Monitor your snake for shedding behavior. If it becomes shy or develops a white haze over its eyes, then it is close to shedding and will not eat. Do not try to force your snake to eat.

• 9

  Handle your snake on occasion to inspect them. Check the body out for mites or other injuries. Ringneck snakes are completely harmless and will not bite.

• 10

  Keep a water bowl full of clean drinking water. Distilled water is ideal because it has no chemicals. Change the water every couple of days.