Corn Snake
Pantherophis guttatus • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pantherophis, Species: Pantherophis guttatus
Found primarily in 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 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 and adaptability, though localized populations face threats from habitat fragmentation and vehicular mortality.
Physical Description
Exhibits a pattern of reddish-orange or brownish blotches outlined in dark borders along the dorsal surface, set against a lighter gray, tan, or orange-brown background. The body is relatively slender with slightly keeled scales, and the head is moderately distinct from the neck with rounded snout features.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen pictured appears to be a subadult or young adult around 2 to 3 feet in length. Typical adult size ranges from 61 to 182 cm (24 to 72 inches), with records occasionally exceeding 180 cm.
Habitat
Typically inhabits overgrown fields, forest openings, trees, and abandoned or agricultural buildings. Prefers terrestrial and semi-arboreal microhabitats from sea level up to regional elevations.
Diet & Feeding
Diet consists primarily of small rodents, birds, and bats. It is an active forager and constriction specialist, subduing prey by wrapping its body around it before ingestion.
Reproduction
Oviparous species that typically breeds in the spring. Females lay clutches ranging from 10 to 30 eggs in concealed, humid environments such as rotting logs or underground burrows during early summer.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix) due to the dorsal blotched pattern, but can be distinguished by round pupils, slender bodies, lack of facial heat-sensing pits, and head markings.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution and adaptability, though localized populations face threats from habitat fragmentation and vehicular mortality.
Cultural Significance
Widely appreciated in agriculture for controlling rodent populations and heavily represented in the reptile pet trade due to captive-bred color and pattern morphs.
Notable Features
Possesses a specialized lance-like or spear-shaped marking on the top of its head, and is renowned for its remarkable docility and intricate pattern variations in captivity.