by Joel La Rocque

Created on: April 16, 2009   Last Updated: April 17, 2009

The American Corn snake (Panthrophis guttata guttata) is formally a member of the species Elaphe, but has recently been elevated to full species status. Though similar to the American rat snake in many ways, the Corn snake has made a name for itself in both the wild and in the pet industry. Corns are noted for their mild disposition and inquisitive nature. In the wild, corn snakes are easy to recognize. They are slender, have narrow heads with large round eyes. The dorsal region is marked with saddles of red which are usually outlined in black or darker shades of red. The top of the head is marked with an arrow or spear point, the sub-caudal scales are paired. The dorsal scales are mildly keeled which allows them to have a shine or wet appearance.

Corn snakes inhabit the Southeastern portion of the US and favor fields and farm land but they can also be found in wooded areas. The favored diet is small mammals such as mice, moles, rats but small birds and their eggs are also taken. Though not a true arboreal species, a corn snake is well capable of ascending a small tree to rob a nest of fledgling chicks. They are held in high esteem by farmers mainly because of their gentile nature and their voracious apatite for mice that destroy crops. In several states they are protected from harvesting by collectors and it is illegal to kill most non-venomous species of snakes. It is unfortunate that some uninformed individuals kill the corn snake thinking it is the venomous Copperhead ( gkistrodon c. contortrix), which look nothing alike other then a similar color on the back of the head. Most Corn snakes grow to about four to five foot but some top out at over six foot. All are slender snakes but are extremely muscular. Corns are oviparous (Egg layers) and mate in early spring. Eggs are deposited under old barns, sawdust piles or anywhere they will be safe from predators and inclement weather. They hatch in about 90 plus days, young are about 8 to 11 inches long and on their own from birth. A large clutch of eggs could number 30 but the average clutch is between 12 and 20.

In recent decades, the pet trade has specialized in various colors of corn snakes which has made the corn snake the snake most in demand by beginners and advanced collectors alike. Some corn snakes are born without certain genes that produce certain colors. A common specimen would be the "albino". A Melanophore is a pigment cell (Chromatophore) that contains the black or brown pigment "melanin". A corn

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