Common Name: Corn Snake Scientific Name: Elaphe guttata guttata
STATUS UNKNOWN Corn Snake Distribution: Southern North America
The Corn Snake is very variable in colour and pattern depending on the region in which it is found. Most Corn Snakes, on the upper side, have large orange to red blotches which are edged with black on a background that varies from grey to orange/yellow. On the underside they have a black and white checkerboard pattern.
Habitat: Temperate Forest & grasslands
Corn snakes are found in the eastern United States. They occur in southern New Jersey and go south through Florida, west into Louisiana and Kentucky. They are most abundant in Florida and the southeast. The corn snake occupies overgrown fields, forest openings and abandoned buildings.
Height: 180cm
The adult feeds on rodents, birds and eggs. The snake overpowers its prey by biting with its fangs to grip and them wrapping its body around the prey to constrict it.
Diet: Carnivorous
The snake breeds in the spring time and the adult female lays eggs. These are placed in a site with high humidity and heat which ensures incubation, for example a pile of decaying vegetation. The adult leaves the eggs and has no part in rearing the offspring. The young snakes emerge from the eggs after 2 – 3 months incubation and feed on small prey until they become large enough to overpower prey by constriction. The species is most active at night. The cornsnake is not endangered but they are often killed and taken from the wild for the pet trade.