Corn Snake
Corn snake
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Reptilia
Order:
Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family:
Colubridae
Genus:
Elaphe
Species:
E. guttata
Binomial name
Elaphe guttata
Linnaeus, 1766
Synonyms
Pantherophis guttatus
Utiger, et al., 2002
The corn snake (Elaphe guttata), or red rat
snake, is a North American species of rat
snake that subdue their small prey with con-
striction.[1] The name "corn snake" comes
from the fact that they have a maize-like pat-
tern on their bellies and because they were
found in corn fields. The Oxford English Dic-
tionary cites this usage as far back as 1676.
Corn snakes are found throughout the south-
eastern and central United States. Their do-
cile nature, reluctance to bite, moderate
adult size 1.2 to 1.8 metres (3.9 to 5.9 ft), at-
tractive pattern, and comparatively simple
care make them popular pet snakes. In the
wild, they usually live around 15–20 years,
but may live as long as 23 years in captivity.
[2] Like all rat snakes, corn snakes are non-
venomous.
Subspecies
There are two subspecies of Elaphe guttata:
• The Common Corn Snake (Elaphe
guttata guttata) lives in the southeastern
United States, and is distinguished by
having brownish-orange skin with orange/
red saddles, the saddles having black
borders, and usually a black and white
underbelly.
• The Great Plains Rat Snake or Emory’s
Rat Snake (Elaphe guttata emoryi) is
found in the United States from Nebraska
to Texas, and into northern Mexico.
Natural habitat
Wild Corn Snakes prefer habitats such as
overgrown fields, forest openings, trees, and
abandoned or seldom-used buildings and
farms, from sea level to as high as 6,000 feet.
They can be found in the southeastern United
States ranging from New Jersey to the Flor-
ida keys and as far west as Texas.
In colder regions, snakes hibernate during
winter. However, in the more temperate cli-
mate along the coast they shelter in rock
crevices and logs during cold weather, and
come out on