Corn Snake (or Gray Rat Snake)
Pantherophis guttatus • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pantherophis, Species: Pantherophis guttatus
Native to the southeastern and central regions of the United States, ranging from New Jersey south to Florida and west to Louisiana and parts of Kentucky.
Look up Corn Snake (or Gray Rat Snake) in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pantherophis, Species: Pantherophis guttatus
Conservation
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution, presumed large population, and adaptability to human-modified environments.
Physical Description
The specimen is a juvenile with a pale gray to whitish background color marked with dark charcoal or black blotches along the back and sides. A distinct spear-point or dart-shaped marking is visible on top of the head. Scales appear smooth to slightly keeled.
Size & Dimensions
The photographed specimen appears to be a juvenile, roughly 10 to 14 inches (25–35 cm) in length. Adults typically grow to between 61 and 182 cm (24–72 inches).
Habitat
Found in overgrown fields, forest openings, trees, and abandoned or agricultural buildings. Prefers terrestrial and semi-arboreal habitats, ranging from sea level to moderate elevations.
Diet & Feeding
Juveniles primarily feed on small lizards, frogs, and very small mice. Adults consume rodents, bats, birds, and bird eggs. They are constriction predators, subduing prey by wrapping their bodies around it.
Reproduction
Oviparous species. Females typically lay clutches of 12 to 24 eggs in rotting logs, leaf litter, or underground burrows during the early summer months, which hatch after an incubation period of about 60 to 65 days.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution, presumed large population, and adaptability to human-modified environments.
Cultural Significance
Frequently kept in captivity as a popular pet due to extensive morph variations. In the wild, they play a crucial role in controlling rodent populations around agricultural areas.
Notable Features
Juveniles often exhibit higher contrast patterns compared to adults, which can sometimes lead to mistaken identities with other patterned species by untrained observers.