Corn Snake

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Introduction

This week I wanted to write about one of my favorite animals to work with at the nature center the corn snake.
                                                                                                 Houdini  Photo Credit Matt Bell

Corn Snakes in my Backyard

Unfortunately, I have had very little sighting of corn snakes in my backyard. The reason for this is they are not native to PA. However, I did have one sighting in the early 2000s!
Sometimes on warm spring and summer nights I will take a night walk around the creek in my front yard, just to see what I can find. One night I saw a small corn snake at the edge of the small forest in my front yard. The snake retreated into the forest before I could catch it, but for a moment I was able to get a clear view of the snake. The strange thing about this sighting is “as stated above” corn snakes are not native to PA. However, there are two explanations for this sighting. The first is the snake I saw was an escaped pet. The second is the corn snake is native to Maryland, and since I live only a few minutes from the Maryland border it’s very possible a snake simply ventured into the State for a visit. 
At the nature center I work with two corn snakes named Houdini and Mr. T. Mr. T is an orange corn snake, and Houdini is a brown corn snake. Both snakes are between two and three feet long. During my weekly volunteer work I feed, change the water, and mist the tank. Both snake’s diet is dead mice.

Corn Snake Fast Facts


  • The corn snake got its name from the pattern of scales on its belly. These scales look like an ancestor to modern corn known as maize.

  • Corn snakes can be found in many different colors. Red, orange, yellow, white, brown, and pink are all colors corn snakes may have. Different species of corn snakes can also be found with different skin patterns.

  • The average size of a corn snake is between 4 and 6 feet long.

  • The longest a corn snake has lived in captivity is 32 years.

  • Corn snakes are often confused with the venomous copperhead.  

  • The corn snake benefits its environment by controlling populations of rodents. This helps prevent crop damage, and the spread of disease.

  • The chromosomes of corn snakes are labeled ZW/ZZ. The male has ZZ chromosomes, and the female has ZW chromosomes.

Habitat

The ideal habitat for corn snakes is rocky regions and deciduous forests. In addition to these habitats corn snakes can also be found in fields, near barns, and in grassy areas. 

Diet

A corn snake’s main diet is rodents. In some cases a corn snake may climb trees to reach bird eggs. “I remember one of the first national geographic episodes I saw showed a corn snake trying to climb a tree to eat bird eggs. The snake gives up and enters the water and is eaten by an alligator. As a kid I thought this was one of the coolest things I ever saw.” Young corn snakes and adult snakes located in areas like Florida will mainly feed on small reptiles.
The main predators of corn snakes are birds of prey and larger snakes like the black racer and king snakes.

                                                                                         Mr.T  Photo Credit Matt Bell

Reproduction

When the winter weather ends and warmer temperatures become common female corn snakes will start giving off strong smells and pheromones. This encourages male corn snakes to come look for a mate. The average breeding season for corn snakes is between May and March. However, in southern regions breed season can last year round. One mating has occurred the female will lay between 10 and 30 eggs in warm humid areas like logs, stumps, or burrows. The eggs laid are white in color and between 3.8 and 6.4 cm in length. The corn snake eggs will hatch between 35 and 68 days. The juvenile corn snakes use a specialized scale known as an egg tooth to break the egg shell. Once hatched the young corn snakes will reach sexual maturity between 16 and 18 months after hatching. On average a female corn snake lays one clutch of eggs per year, although in the captivity two clutches of eggs may be laid.
                                                                                                 Photo Credit Matt Bell

Corn Snakes as Pets

Corn snakes are one of the best snakes to have as a pet. They have a calm temperament, and can be handled for long periods of time.
Corn snake care is also easy. Most corn snakes can live in a simple 25 gallon tank. Be sure place newspapers or wood shaving at the bottom of the tank. I also recommended adding a hiding box and climbing branch. In addition to this a UV light is also needed, and should be kept on between 8 and 12 hours a day. The average temperature of the tank should be around 85 degrees. This can be accomplished by adding a heat rock or heating pad.
 It is best to feed your corn snake dead mice, which can be purchased at a local pet store. I do not recommend feeding the snake live mice, because a live mouse may injure your snake. It is also important not to feed your snake in its home. The reason for this is the snake may begin to associate the cage opening or your hand with food. At the nature center the two corn snakes are placed in smaller cages for feeding.  
Juvenile corn snakes should be fed once a week, while adult corn snakes can be fed every two weeks.
                                                                                     Photo Credit Matt Bell

Conclusion

To many people snakes are evil creatures that bring nothing but harm to the world. However, we learned that the corn snake is the farmer’s friend, and does many good things for the ecosystem. It is always a pleasure to work with corn snakes at the nature center. Join me next time as we explore wildlife in my backyard and other nature topics. 


References and Additional Resources

All About Corn Snakes. (2010). Corn Snakes. Retrieved from http://www.allaboutcornsnakes.com/corn_snakes.htm

Live Science. (2018). Corn Snakes: Morphs, Colors & Other Facts. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/44008-corn-snakes.html

Petco. (2018). Corn Snake. Retrieved from  
https://www.petco.com/content/petco/PetcoStore/en_US/pet-services/resource-center/caresheets/corn-snake.html

Snake Type. (n.d.). Corn Snake. Retrieved from 
http://www.snaketype.com/corn-snake/
University of Michigan. (2014). Red corn snake. Retrieved from https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pantherophis_guttatus/


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