Corn Snake

Elaphe guttata

Corn Snakes are good at rodent-control around barns and old houses with broken stone foundations, where mice are abundant. Unfortunately, people often mistake these snakes for Copperheads and kill them on sight. In summer Corn Snakes are active at night. They spend their days in old stumps, rock walls, or abandoned burrows. When cornered, the Corn Snake will vibrate its tail and strike with impressive speed.

Look For : An orange to light gray snake with big, black-edged, red, brown, or dark gray blotches on its back. Blotch on head comes to a point between eyes. Tail striped below, belly marked with black squares. Scales are keeled.

Length : 30-72".

Habitat : Pine barrens, open woodlands, old fields, farm buildings, trash heaps.

Range : Southeastern U.S. from Louisiana to New Jersey; also found from Texas north through Kansas to western Arkansas and Missouri.