Project Description
Corn Snake
Elaphe guttata guttata
Range/Geographical Distribution: Virginia south to Florida and west to the Mississippi River.
Habitat: Pine barrens, woodlands, and rocky hillsides.
Description: A red/orange/brown snake with a boldly checkered black and whitish belly.
Size: Can reach 48 inches in length and weigh 32 oz.
Food: Constrictors that eat mice, rats, birds, lizards, and frogs.
Breeding: Reach sexual maturity at about a year and a half. Females lay up to 30 eggs from May to July in burrows, logs, or stumps. Hatchlings emerge about two months later.
Predators: Larger snakes and birds of prey.
Conservation Status: Abundant, listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List.
Interesting Facts: The corn snake is sometimes confused with the venomous southern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix contorix). Corn snakes have a narrower head, lighter coloration, and more square-shaped spots than southern copperheads. Also a popular pet snake and breeders have developed many different color morphs.
On the Coast: Corn snakes can be found in trees and borrows along the Georgia coast. They help keep nuisance rodent populations low and help stop the spread of rodent diseases.