Corn snake

How to identify it

Orange to brownish body with red blotches outlined in black
Black and white checkerboard belly
Slim head, round pupils
Spear-point mark on top of the head

Size: 24–48 in (total length). Habitat: Fields, pine woods and barns of the Southeast.

Also called red rat snake.

Where it lives

Lives here
Rare records
Gone
Not here

Lives in 16 states; rare records from 14 more states. Tap a state for details.

When it is out

Open US records by month; most fall in April to July.

Look-alikes

Copperhead vs Corn Snake Copperhead: medically significant

State by state

State	Status	Open records	Counties
Florida	Lives here	1,213	59
North Carolina	Lives here	827	46
Texas	Lives here	457	77
Georgia	Lives here	373	40
South Carolina	Lives here	224	28
Kansas	Lives here	149	51
Alabama	Lives here	141	42
Louisiana	Lives here	141	10
Virginia	Lives here	102	35
Mississippi	Lives here	90	18
Tennessee	Lives here	71	15
Kentucky	Lives here	26	4
Oklahoma	Lives here	23	10
Maryland	Lives here	20	7
New Mexico	Lives here	16	8
Illinois	Lives here	13	3
Missouri	Rare records	29	2
Nebraska	Rare records	26	2
Arkansas	Rare records	16	1
New Jersey	Rare records	11	2
Delaware	Rare records	9	1
Colorado	Rare records	6	2
California	Rare records	5	3
New York	Rare records	5	2
Utah	Rare records	3	1
Indiana	Rare records	1	1
Iowa	Rare records	1	1
Pennsylvania	Rare records	1	1
South Dakota	Rare records	1	1
West Virginia	Rare records	1	1

States not listed have no open records and are outside the range.

Questions

Where does the corn snake live?

In 16 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Rare records also come from Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Indiana and Iowa and other states.

Is the corn snake dangerous?

Harmless. Not venomous.

How do you identify a corn snake?

Orange to brownish body with red blotches outlined in black. Black and white checkerboard belly. Slim head, round pupils.

When is the corn snake most active?

Most open US records fall in April to July.