Corn Snake
The Corn Snake is also known as the Red Rat Snake and is one of several species of
rat snakes occuring in the United States of America. Their prefered habitats include
overgrown fields, forest openings, and abandoned buildings where their favorite food of
mice and other small rodents is abundant. Corn Snakes are non-venomous snakes
which feed on a variety of prey species which they overpower by constriction. If
disturbed, they often strike repeatedly at the intruder while vibrating their tail. In dry
leaves, the vibrating of the tail may resemble the buzz of a rattlesnake, fooling some
predators in to leaving them alone. The overall appearance of this snake resembles the
brightly coloured Indian corn from which it probably gets its common name. Due to their
reddish-orange coloration, Corn Snakes are often killed in the wild because they are
mistaken for the Copperhead, a venomous species.
