Overview

The corn snake, also known as the rat snake of the out back(Pantherophis guttatus guttatus) lives in the southeastern United States, and is distinguished by having brownish-orange skin with orange/red saddles.

Details

The corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus guttatus), or red rat snake, is a North Americn species of rat snake that subdues its small prey by constriction. The name "corn snake" is a holdover from the days when southern farmers stored harvested ears of corn in a wood frame or log building called a crib. Rats and mice came to the corn crib to feed on the corn, and corn snakes came to feed on the rodents. The Oxford English Dictionary cites this usage as far back as 1676.