The corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus) is a North American snake species found across the northeast and central the United States, from southern New Jersey southwest Florida and west to Louisiana and portions of Kentucky.
The species has also been released on many islands of the Caribbean, together with using many recognized inhabitants currently located in Grand Cayman, the US Virgin Islands and from the Bahamas.
The corn snake preceding classification put it at the genus Elaphe, it had been recently shifted to Pantherophis. A number of studies have proven they are even more closely associated with sea snakes (genus Lampropeltis) compared to Old World rat snakes by which they had been formerly categorized.
It had been believed to possess 2 subspecies before 2002 after the Great Plains rat snake had been divided off as its own species
They’re mainly a semi-fossorial species utilized in a huge array of drier to humid habitats. The corn snake can be found in structures like wooded groves, rugged hillsides, overgrown areas, pine woods, meadowlands, grasslands, forest openings, and bud Flatwoods, palmetto Flatwoods, tropical hammocks,
Corn Snakes Habitat
They’re also located near human-modified surroundings in barns and deserted or seldom-used structures. These snakes favor lower altitudes but are available everywhere from sea level up to 6,000 ft (1800 m).
Corn snakes are most active during the night and are equally terrestrial burrowers and exceptionally excellent climbers. Through winter months, they hibernate in areas of the scope. But they emerge on days and take refuge in logs and stone cracks.
There are two theories to describe why the species common name, pine snake. In one’s said that its name derives from the majority of the gut markers to the pattern of kernels of corn.
The other depends upon the snake’s routine existence near grain shops, searching mice, mice, and rats who ate the chosen corn. Like many snake species that the corn snake is known as the snake.
All these are slim non-venomous snakes using a span ranging from 24 to 72 inches (60 to 180 cm), with males being larger than females. Their base color is generally brownish to red-orange, speckled by many big reddish blotches with black borders their backs. Their colors differ from area to area and may incorporate things like yellowish and gray. They have a white and black stomach.
In fact, breeders are producing a huge array of color patterns, known as morphs, varying in color from white to black, black, and patterns that have stripes, spots or strong coloring.
They’ve been bred in captivity along with other snake species such as the California kingsnake to create hybrids known from the pet industry since”Jungle corn bees”. In an odd manner, these hybrids are abundant.
They have very few all-natural predators which consist mostly of snakes, birds of prey and at times parasitic mammals. Corn eaters will be, eaten by the snake species, such as the kingsnake and racers. Their life span is up to 23 years in captivity but is less approximately 6 to 8 years, in the wild.
What do corn snakes eat?
Mature corn bees feed on larger prey things like rats, rodents, birds, birds and bird eggs whereas the young hatchlings feed mostly on lizards and frogs.
The corn snake packs every couple of days, and now being constrictors they bite the prey to acquire a firm grasp, then immediately wrap around the sufferer. They squeeze to suffocate the victim and swallow it whole head.
Corn Snakes Reproduction
The corn snake breeding period happens from March to May. The snakes can participate at a type of competitions, when two or more meet at the existence of a female, in battle.
All these are oviparous snakes, so the female deposits a clutch of 10 to 30 eggs throughout the summer in late May to July. The eggs are put with humidity and heat in locations to incubate them piles of decaying areas, such as stumps.
Adults do not take care of the eggs and after placed their gestation period is about 60 to 70 days. The eggs will hatch in July through September if the hatchlings employing a technical scale known as an”egg ” slit the shell and then escape.
The young snakes are created 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) long and attain adulthood at 18 to 36 weeks old. Their own blotches are darker, so from brown to black on a light-orange or grey human anatomy although They’re patterned like girls.
Corn Snakes Conservation
The corn snake is not regarded as an endangered species, however, they’re listed as a Species of Special Concern from the state of Florida, due to habitat loss and devastation at the lower Florida Keys.
However, despite habitat devastation representing a danger in some regions, the corn snake is still slightly conducive to habitat change.
The corn snake is often mistaken for the venomous Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and murdered from fear. The species would be the most often consumed pet snake, also are occasionally recorded in the wild to be marketed as pets.
