Hobbies And Interests
Description and Size
Corn snakes come in wide range of colors. They are usually red to brown in color with red and black blotches running the length of their body. The scales are slightly keeled and very smooth. Their belly is white and has a conspicuous black-and-white checkerboard coloration. There is very little sexual dimorphism between males and females, which makes it difficult to determine the sex of corn snakes by eye. Hatchling corn snakes are 12 to 14 inches long, but grow very quickly into their mature size. Though the snake has an average size of 2 to 4 feet, the largest corn snake on record was 6 feet long, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Habitat
Corn snakes live in many different habitats throughout their range. They are a highly adaptable snake that prefers woodlands with plenty of cover and potential prey in the same vicinity. The snakes are often found in meadows along the coastal plains, rocky outcrops in the Appalachian mountains, and near barns or warehouse structures located on agricultural land. Corn snakes are often found in sunny locations just before sunset, where they warm their bodies before hunting for food. Like all reptiles, corn snakes are exothermic and rely on the sun to heat their body, which allows them to easily capture prey, digest their food and grow.
Feeding Habits
Corn snakes are strict carnivores and will feed on a wide variety of prey throughout their range. Young snakes are voracious predators and feed primarily on tree frogs and small lizards. Juvenile corn snakes have a rapid growth rate and can grow between 12 and 24 inches each year. As they mature, corn snakes start to feed on larger warm-blooded prey such as mice, chipmunks, birds and bats. They are opportunistic hunters and excellent climbers, so it is not uncommon to see corn snakes high in trees raiding bird nests for small birds and bird eggs.
Behavior
Corn snakes are primarily nocturnal in the wild. They are reclusive, shy animals and spend most of their time undercover during the day. When threatened, corn snakes try to run away. If cornered, corn snakes curl up into an S-shaped position, hiss and vibrate their tail rapidly on the ground. In addition to their similar size and appearance to rattlesnakes, the tail vibration also sounds like a rattlesnake when the snake is on dry leaves, leading many people to misidentify and kill corn snakes throughout their habitats.