Notes

The corn snake sometimes called red rat snake, is a species of North American rat snake in the family Colubridae. The species subdues its small prey by constriction. It is found throughout the south eastern and central United States. Though superficially resembling the venomous copperhead and often killed as a result of this mistaken identity, the corn snake lacks functional venom and is harmless. The corn snake is beneficial to humans because it helps to control populations of wild rodent pests that damage crops and spread disease. As an adult the corn snake may have a total length (including tail) of 61–182 cm (2.00–5.97 foot). In the wild, it usually lives around ten to fifteen years, but in captivity can live to an age of 23 years or more. The record for the oldest corn snake in captivity was 32 years and 3 months. The natural corn snake is usually orange or brown bodied with large red blotches outlined in black down their backs. The belly has distinctive rows of alternating black and white marks. This black and white checker pattern is similar to Indian corn which is where the name corn snake may have come from. The corn snake can be distinguished from a copperhead by the corn snake's brighter colours, slender build, slim head, round pupils. In the wild, the corn snake prefers habitats such as overgrown fields, forest openings, trees, palmetto flatwoods, and abandoned or seldom-used buildings and farms, from sea level to as high as 6,000 ft (1,800 m). Typically, the corn snake remains on the ground until the age of four months but can ascend trees, cliffs, and other elevated surfaces. It can be found in the Southeastern United States ranging from New Jersey to the Florida Keys.