Corn Snake natural history

Corn Snake natural history #

A corny situation #

The north American Corn snake (Pantherophis guttata) is a medium sized colubrid constrictor found all the way from southern New Jersey to the Florida Keyes and Texas. With a beautiful background colouration of reds, browns, yellows, and greys overlaid with darker “saddles” and stunning patterned and coloured belly scales, wild corn snakes are just as pretty as some morphs now found in the hobby. Growing to a maximum length of 6 feet and weighing up to 900grams, corn snakes stay relatively slender for their length. Captive lifespan can exceed 20 years but in a natural environment, 8-10 is the average. A very adaptable species of snake, corns can be found in arid and semi-arid environments, agricultural land, grass, woodland, even wetlands and swamps. Considered mostly terrestrial by nature, corn snakes are still very capable climbers and will scale trees to raid nests or escape predation. Primarily nocturnal to avoid competition with other species, corn snakes are burrowers and will spend a lot of their terrestrial time underground, searching rodent burrows for available prey. This species has been known to brumate to avoid extremes in weather conditions for anywhere up to 3 months, often finding a secluded burrow insulated underground.
Like all snakes, corn snakes are carnivorous and have a wide and varied diet in the wild. Anything from small amphibians and reptiles to rodents, birds, eggs and even bats find themselves on the corn snakes’ menu. Corn snakes are constrictors (family Colubridae) and kill their prey by constriction. It was originally believed that corn snakes and other constrictors killed their prey by crushing it to death, breaking bones and rupturing internal organs. It was then speculated that constrictors killed by strangulation, preventing their prey from breathing in. It is now believed that constrictors squeeze their prey, exerting so much pressure as to stop circulation and over pressurising the brain, interrupting neural functions. Corn snakes will subdue their prey and begin swallowing it whole, sometimes eating smaller prey items alive.
A corn snake’s method of feeding is the same as the majority of snake species found around the world. They have elasticated ligaments connecting their jaws and their lower mandibles and are not fixed as they are in mammals. At the front, each mandible is attached by a stretchy ligament. This allows the mandibles to spread apart laterally, increasing the width of the mouth. The mandibles are also loosely connected at the back of the skull, allowing for greater rotation. This is how snakes can open their mouths wider than their bodies and ingest such large meals. The mandibles move independently of each other, slowly moving the prey item to the back of the throat. Simultaneously, the snakes head “walks” forward in a side-to-side motion over the prey’s body, so as the food is pulled down the throat, the head moves over the top. Corn snakes have anywhere from 20-30 teeth and have double the amount on the top jaws as they do the bottom.
Once the corn snake has eaten its fill (either a large meal or several small prey items) most will retreat into tunnels or burrows to digest. They generally retire underground as it remains at a more constant temperature and there is less danger from predators. Dependent on the size of the prey item, it will take the corn snake anywhere from 3-7 days to completely digest its meal. As with all reptiles, corn snakes are ectothermic. They cannot generate their own heat and need to get their metabolic energy from external sources. This also means that they take a lot less food than a comparative sized mammal.
Corns snakes have been part of the pet trade since the mid 1960’s, particularly in the Americas where they were collected from the wild regularly. Staying at a manageable size and being so easy to feed and handle, corn snakes rapidly grew in popularity across America, and thanks to the ease of breeding in captivity corn snakes quickly began to spread across the world. Sometimes as an invasive species. Some Caribbean islands, parts of mainland Europe, the island of Hawaii and Australia all have small but stable populations of corn snakes that are now deemed invasive and can be detrimental to the native ecosystem.
Once the corn snake was so readily available from captive breeding, collecting of wild specimens mostly stopped. Corn snakes have been bred in captivity for 60 years and some amazing morphs and colour variations have been produced, more than 800 recorded so far. Some morphs do carry genetic weaknesses (mostly due to inbreeding to produce a specific trait) some of these include:
• Spinal kinks
• Stargazing
• Jaw deformities
• Bug eyes
• Lower than average clutch/hatchling survival rate
All of these can be attributed to recessive genes or just outright bad breeding practices. Despite these problems, corn snakes are one of the most popular pet snakes in the world today.

What’s the snake doing?
Corn snakes exhibit many different natural behaviours in captivity. Snakes in general are not as expressive as lizards or amphibians, but you will be able to see changes in behaviours, moods and even changes as the animal matures. In this section we will discuss these behaviours in more detail and find out what they mean.
• Tongue flicking – all snakes use their tongues to smell the air, corn snakes are no different. The snake is awake and actively testing its environment for food or danger.
• Still snake/coiled, no tongue flicking – the snake is almost definitely asleep, as snakes do not possess eyelids it can be more difficult to tell. Approach cautiously so not to startle the animal.
• Head and neck held in a ‘S’ shape – the snake either feels threatened and is preparing to defend itself or is readying itself to strike at a prey item.
• Hissing – often accompanied with a retracted head and the ‘S’ shaped neck, this is a warning to avoid the snake as it will defend itself.
• Tail shaking/rattling – the snake is attempting to scare off a potential predator. The tail shaking is thought to create a sound similar to that of a rattlesnake (that share a corn snakes’ geographic range) and act as an audible deterrent.
• Musking/defecating – the snake perceives you as a threat and is attempting to use faeces and a strong-smelling musk to confuse you, the predator, and escape.
• Bluish eye caps/muted colours – the corn snake is going into shed; the bluish colour is a wax that is secreted by the new skin to help lift the old away from it.
• Restlessness/glass surfing – this can be a sign of too high a temperature, hunger/hunting behaviour or the snake is ready to breed and find a mate.
• Jumpy/tense – this is the sign of an agitated snake. They will flinch at the slightest touch and follow movement of anything very cautiously. Allow the snake to relax and explore its surroundings. Tongue flicking is a good indicator of the animal relaxing.
• Flighty behaviour – this is often shown by the snake when it is uncomfortable or startled. The snake will actively try to escape from handling or being picked up. This should be respected as bites can follow soon after this.
These are some of the more common behaviours seen in captive corns snakes.

The best pet snake?
Corn snakes are one of the world’s most popular pet snakes. With a relatively small adult size, docile nature, good captive lifespan, some amazing colours and morphs and being so easily handled, they rightly find themselves near the top of almost every “first snake” and “best pet snake” list. Once the corn snake’s needs are understood and the correct husbandry has been achieved and maintained, corn snakes, being one of the most adaptable species of colubrid available today, are one of the most rewarding reptiles that can be kept in captivity.
Experiencing very few common health problems and feeding only once every 7-14 days, they are also inexpensive once the initial cost has been paid. A hardy and friendly species of snake, corn snakes are truly one of the best pet snakes in the world.

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