Northwestern Ring-necked Snake
Diadophis punctatus occidentalis
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- D. p. occidentalis – Napa Co, CA – photo by Gary Nafis
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- D. p. occidentalis – Napa Co, CA – photo by Gary Nafis
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- Map by Steve Bledsoe, SWCHR
DISTRIBUTION: In our region, Diadophis p. occidentlis occurs in coastal California inland to the coastal mountains from Sonoma County north to the Oregon border.
LEGAL STATUS: No Listings
MEANING OF SCIENTIFIC NAME: Diadophis punctatus occidentalis (Blanchard – 1923)
Genus: Diadophis, Latin – diadoma = crown + Greek – ophis = snake, serpent
Species: punctatus, Latin – punctat = dotted, spotted as with punctures – ref. to spotted belly of the species
Subspecies: occidentalis, Latin = western, westerly
Ref. Ellen Beltz 2006
Ref. E. Jeager 1962