Corn 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 in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pantherophis, Species: Pantherophis guttatus
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, due to a wide distribution, tolerance for human-modified habitats, and large stable populations.
Physical Description
The visible specimen shows a grayish or pale background coloration with distinct dark brown to black blotches along the back and sides. The head displays a characteristic spear-point or dart-shaped marking. Scales are weakly keeled, and the body is slender and slightly compressed laterally.
Size & Dimensions
The visible specimen appears to be a juvenile or sub-adult, roughly 30 to 45 cm in length. Adults typically reach lengths between 61 and 182 cm.
Habitat
Found in forested regions, overgrown fields, marshlands, agricultural lands, and around abandoned or rural buildings. Elevation ranges from sea level to over 1,000 meters.
Diet & Feeding
Predominantly feeds on small rodents such as mice and rats, as well as birds, bats, and occasionally lizards. They are active hunters and constrictors, subduing prey by wrapping their bodies around it.
Reproduction
Oviparous species. Females lay clutches typically ranging from 12 to 30 eggs in early summer, usually in decaying vegetation, rotting logs, or underground burrows where heat and moisture aid incubation.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with eastern rat snakes (Pantherophis alleghaniensis) and occasionally copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix) by the untrained eye, though pattern differences and lack of heat-sensing facial pits readily distinguish them.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, due to a wide distribution, tolerance for human-modified habitats, and large stable populations.
Cultural Significance
Extremely popular in the pet trade due to docile temperament and captive breeding color morphs. In the wild, they play a vital ecological role by controlling agricultural rodent populations.
Notable Features
Renowned for their adaptability to human environments, excellent climbing abilities, and wide array of genetic color and pattern mutations bred in captivity.