If you lifted a garden stone or moved a box in the basement of your Branchburg home and found a small, dark snake with a bright ring around its neck, you probably met a ringneck snake. It's a native snake that spends most of its life hidden under cover, and it's harmless to people. Below, we'll cover how to identify one, why it shows up around houses, whether it's a problem and how to keep it outside. If snakes or other critters keep finding their way indoors, our home pest-proofing service focuses on the gaps they use to get in.
What A Ringneck Snake Looks Like
Ringneck snakes are small and easy to recognize once you know the markings:
- Size. Slender, often about the length of a pencil to a ruler. Adults are much thinner than a garter snake.
- Back. Smooth, solid slate gray, bluish gray or nearly black, with no stripes or blotches.
- Neck ring. A narrow yellow or orange band just behind the head. It gives the snake its name.
- Belly. Bright yellow to orange, sometimes with a few small dark spots.
When a ringneck snake feels threatened, it may twist its tail to flash the bright underside. It may also release a musky smell. Both are bluffs meant to startle a predator.
Why Ringneck Snakes Show Up Around Homes
Ringneck snakes are secretive. They spend the day under flat rocks, logs, boards, mulch and thick leaf litter, where the soil stays cool and damp. They feed on small, soft prey such as earthworms, slugs, salamanders and insect larvae. A yard with stone walls, woodpiles, heavy mulch beds and damp shade gives them everything they need.
They sometimes end up indoors by accident. A gap under a door, an open window well, a crack in a foundation or a loose basement window can lead a snake inside while it's looking for moisture or shelter. Basements and garages that stay damp, or that already have crickets and other small insects, are the spots where homeowners find them.
Are Ringneck Snakes Dangerous?
No. Ringneck snakes are not a threat to people or pets. They are small, shy and rarely bite, even when picked up. Their usual defense is to hide, coil up or flash their belly. They don't damage the house, chew wires or get into food.
In the yard, they're actually helpful. They eat slugs and other soft-bodied pests that damage gardens. Ringneck snakes are native wildlife in New Jersey, and native snakes should be left alone and never harmed or killed. If you're unsure whether a snake you found is harmless, keep your distance and read our guide to telling a garter snake from a copperhead.
What To Do If One Gets Inside
- Stay calm. A ringneck snake is more afraid of you than you are of it. Keep kids and pets out of the room.
- Give it a way out. If it's near a door, open the door and step back. It will often leave on its own.
- Guide it gently. You can sweep it softly into a bucket or box with a broom and release it under shrubs or a log nearby outside.
- Get help if needed. If you can't identify the snake or can't reach it, contact your local animal control office for advice.
- Find the entry point. Look along the wall where you found it for gaps, especially near the floor.
How To Keep Ringneck Snakes Outside
The goal isn't to get rid of ringneck snakes in your yard. It's to keep them where they belong and out of your living space. A few practical steps make a big difference:
- Seal gaps. Close cracks in the foundation, gaps around pipes and utility lines, and openings under doors.
- Check door sweeps and screens. Replace worn sweeps and torn basement window screens.
- Cover window wells. Window wells collect small animals and lead them to basement windows.
- Move cover away from the house. Keep woodpiles, stone piles, boards and heavy mulch a few feet back from the foundation.
- Reduce moisture. Run a dehumidifier in a damp basement and fix leaks and poor drainage near the walls.
- Cut down on their food. Fewer slugs, crickets and other insects near the house means fewer reasons for a snake to hang around.
When To Call A Professional
EcoFusion doesn't trap or relocate snakes. For a snake you can't identify or can't safely move, your local animal control office or New Jersey Fish and Wildlife can advise you. Where we help is with the reasons small animals keep coming inside. Our NJ DEP-licensed technicians can inspect your basement, foundation and doors, find the gaps and damp spots that invite snakes, insects and rodents, and recommend a plan to seal them and reduce the insects they feed on. We use Integrated Pest Management and EPA-registered, eco-safe products for any insect treatment.
A ringneck snake in the garden is a good sign of a healthy yard, not a reason to worry. If they keep turning up in the basement of your Branchburg home, sealing a few gaps and drying things out is usually all it takes.