Corn Snake

Common Name: Corn Snake

Scientific Name: Pantherophis guttatus

Diet: Corn Snakes are carnivorous and, in the wild, they eat every few days. While most corn snakes eat small rodents, such as the white-footed mouse, they may also eat other reptiles, or amphibians, or climb trees to find unguarded bird eggs.

Overview: Corn snakes are named for the pattern of their belly scales that resembles maize, an ancestor of modern-day corn. They are known to be good climbers and escape artists.

Reproduction: Corn snakes usually breed shortly after the winter cooling. Egg-laying occurs slightly more than a month after mating, with 12–24 eggs deposited into a warm, moist, hidden location.

Natural Enemies: Predators of the corn snake include foxes, opossums, skunks, bobcats, weasels, and hawks.

Conservation Status and Threats: Wild corn snakes prefer habitats such as overgrown fields, forest openings, trees, palmetto flatwoods, and abandoned or seldom-used buildings and farms. these snakes remain on the ground until the age of four months but can ascend trees, cliffs, and other elevated surfaces