Reveling in reptiles
Description: Corn snakes are generally slender and range from 24 to 72 inches. They are usually orange or brownish-yellow, with large, black-edged red blotches down the middle of the back. On the belly are alternating rows of black and white marks, resembling a checkerboard pattern.
Distribution and habitat: Corn snakes are found in the eastern United States from southern New Jersey south through Florida, and west into Louisiana and parts of Kentucky. They are most abundant in Florida and the southeastern U.S.
Diet in the wild: Corn snakes do not usually feed every day. Instead they feed every few days. Young hatchlings tend to feed on lizards and tree frogs, while adults feed on larger prey, such as mice, rats, birds and bats. They are constrictors. First a corn snake bites the prey in order to obtain a firm grip, then it quickly wraps one or more coils of its body around the victim. The snake squeezes tightly until it suffocates the prey. Then it swallows the food whole, usually head first.
Life span: The life span of the snake is up to 23 years in captivity, but is generally much less in the wild.
Fun fact: The name corn snake is believed to have originated from the similarity of the markings on the belly to the checkered pattern of kernels of maize or Indian corn.
