Corn Snake
Pantherophis guttatus
The Corn Snake is a colorful nonvenomous native snake that helps control rodents around Florida woodlands, farms, and neighborhoods.
The Corn Snake is a colorful nonvenomous native snake that helps control rodents around Florida woodlands, farms, and neighborhoods.
A slender orange, red, tan, or gray snake with reddish blotches bordered in black. The belly usually shows a bold black-and-white checkerboard pattern.
Usually secretive and most active from dusk through night in warm weather. It climbs well and uses logs, tree cavities, barns, and ground cover for shelter.
Leave the snake an open escape route. Do not handle or kill it. Use a trained professional if a snake must be moved from a building.
Native snakes are wildlife. Collection, possession, transport, and removal rules vary by location and land status. Never collect from parks or protected lands without authorization.
Habitat:
Pine Flatwoods and Sandhills, Forests and Woodlands, Grasslands and Agricultural Areas, Urban and Residential Areas
Area / Range:
Statewide
Diet:
Mice, rats, young rabbits, small birds, eggs, frogs, and lizards. Prey is subdued by constriction.
Behavior:
Usually secretive and most active from dusk through night in warm weather. It climbs well and uses logs, tree cavities, barns, and ground cover for shelter.
Dusk, Nighttime, Dawn
Active Times:
Best time to see:
Warm evenings near woodland edges, barns, fallen logs, and quiet roads
Florida Native Status:
Native
Conservation Status:
Least Concern
Safety Level:
Nonvenomous
Safety Information:
Leave the snake an open escape route. Do not handle or kill it. Use a trained professional if a snake must be moved from a building.
Benefits to Property:
Provides effective natural control of mice, rats, and other small animals that damage landscapes or enter structures.
Property Concerns:
May enter garages, sheds, or screened spaces while hunting prey. Reduce rodent food, seal gaps, and remove clutter instead of using glue traps.
Fun Fact:
The checkerboard belly pattern helps distinguish a Corn Snake from several similarly colored Florida snakes.
Wildlife Laws:
Native snakes are wildlife. Collection, possession, transport, and removal rules vary by location and land status. Never collect from parks or protected lands without authorization.
Identification:
A slender orange, red, tan, or gray snake with reddish blotches bordered in black. The belly usually shows a bold black-and-white checkerboard pattern.