Corn snake

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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.

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