Where Are Corn Snakes Found? - The Reptile Guide

So you may be thinking about buying a corn snake as a new pet, but have you ever wondered where are corn snakes found? Corn snakes are native to the Eastern States of America, with the majority of them living in the sunshine state of Florida. Other States such as Kentucky, Louisiana and Virginia are some other states in which a corn snake calls home.

To identify a Corn snake you should look for a more than average slender body. Also look for a colour of orange or brownish-yellow and a pattern with large, red blotches with black outlines running down their backs.

(Please scroll down to the bottom of the page to find ‘Other related articles you might like’, once you are done reading).

Table of Contents

Geographical Areas

Corn In parts of Kentucky (disjunct population), Louisiana and from Virginia to southern New Jersey. Ranging from North Carolina to the Florida Keys. Ranging as well from eastern Louisiana to southern Tennessee. They are most abundant in Florida and other southeastern states.

A lot of records show a change in corn snake’s population, which came from human’s intervention of introduced populations. As a result, many of them concentrated in the Caribbean islands, in New Providence ,Grand Bahama of the Bahamas, the Lesser Antilles, Grand Cayman and U.S. Virgin Islands like St.Thomas.

Habitat and Terrain

Elaphe [Pantherophis] guttata more commonly know as the Corn snake, you can find in mountain ranges and coastal plains.For example, corn snakes like upland, terrestrial habitats that are relatively dry, have sunlight and have subterranean mammal burrows. Sandy pinewoods are amongst their favourite types of terrain. They have learnt to live alongside humans and are not often fazed by any encounters with humans. Moreover, there has been occasions when they have entered peoples homes to hide or to hunt mice and rats.

Corn snakes will be found in habitats and areas, such as;

Barns and abandoned buildings
Woodlots
Rodents burrows (looking for prey)
Tropical hammock
Wooden groves
Rocky hillsides
Rocky open areas
Meadowlands

In the wild their preferred habitat is commonly;

Trees
Woodlands (pine and oak)
Grasslands
Forest openings
Palmetto flatwoods
Overgrown fields

However they can also be found in places like these;

Abandoned buildings
Buildings that are rarely used
Farms
Sheet metal
Boards
Logs
Rubbish dumps
Railway lines

Fun Fact; Did you know that corn snakes can also be found at altitudes from sea level all the way up to 6000 feet. Which in comparison is the same height as the Trident Volcano in Alaska.

Up until the age of four months corn snakes will mostly stay on the ground, but at the same time they will, on occasions climb cliffs and trees and anything else that they can climb on.

Corn snakes will brumate (hibernate) during the winter of colder regions, while corn snakes in warmer or more temperate climates will find alternatives. They will find warmth and shelter from the cold and cooler temperatures. In small closed spaces they will find shelter and will hide under wood logs, like stump holes,mammal burrows and under houses as well as rocks and holes in cliff sides.

Finally, corn snakes will be harder to find in the winter as they become less active to save energy, and as a result hunt for food less often, this process is called ‘Brumation’, which is basically a reptile version of hibernation. The “Do corn snaked hibernate” link will cover more on this topic.

Should you replicate this habitat in your corn snakes enclosure?

Yes, you absolutely should replicate this as closely as possible.

In the wild corn snakes originate from southern united states, in the pine forests and flat woods. They enjoy a wide range of habitats depending mainly on the weather, and temperature. In the colder months corn snakes like to shelter in burrow holes, broken tree stump and other refuses from its surroundings.

Whereas during the warmer months corn snakes like to stay cool out of the sun in abandoned buildings and deep burrows, and sometimes climb trees to bask, or even to find their next meal in a birds nest. So these are aspects that you need to consider when creating the perfect home for your corn snake.

Here are 5 components you should consider for housing corn snakes;

Size of enclosure – Does your snake have enough room to move freely, climb and burrowed holes.

Substrate – The material you out in the Botton of the cage. Newspaper, aspen shavings and cypress mulch is most recommended.

Heating – Your corn snakes enclosure needs some form of heating, Ideally a warm and cool side to the enclosure. Heating mats are the best recommenced for this, placed only one side of the enclosure. 75 – 80 degrees Fahrenheit is the optimal heating level.

Lighting – In the wild, corn snakes obviously have a natural cycle of day/night lighting. So this should be replicated in your enclosure too. You can provide light by positioning your enclosure near to a window, or a UVB light placed on the cage with a timer.

Furniture – These are the aspects that corn snakes need in its enclosure to make it feel like home. These are, a water bowl large enough for your snake can bathe in. Hiding areas and burrows are needed to make your snake feel safe. If not shelter then it can cause a lot of stress for a snake, they need to feel secure. Rocks and branches for your snake to climb over or onto. This replicates exactly the kind of obstacles they would encounter in the wild. So these are must haves.

Conclusion

Now you have all the answers to ‘Where are corn snakes found’, hopefully you’ll be able to replicate your corn snakes habitat correctly to give it the healthiest living conditions possible. Remember the closer your enclosure I to a corn snakes natural habitat, the happier it will be, so this is definitely something you should be considering.