Red Cornsnake, Pantherophis guttatus

Occurs mainly in the southern two-thirds of East Tennessee and the southwestern corner of the state. Also known as the “red rat snake.”

Description: A long, slender snake (30.0. to 48.0 inches in length) with considerable variation in color and pattern. Red blotches, outlined in black, occur down the middle of the back over a gray to orangish background color. Head has a characteristic spearhead point, which meets between the eyes. Belly is a bold black-and-white checkerboard pattern with striping under the tail. Young are darker and less colorful than adults.

Similar Species: Scarlet, Red, and Eastern Milksnake, and Mole Kingsnake lack striping under tails. Young Gray Ratsnakes have no spearpoint between the eyes.

Habitat: Found in a variety of habitats including wood lots, rocky hillsides, fields, farms, and suburban settings, but more abundant in habitats with pine trees. Occurs in barns, abandoned buildings, trees, and stumps; also occurs under leaf litter, soil, and other objects.

Diet: Feeds heavily on small rodents; also eats treefrogs, lizards, birds, and bats.

Breeding information: Adults breed in spring. Females lay 5-30 eggs in sawdust piles or rotten log debris during the summer.

Status in Tennessee: Common, but not often encountered.

Fun Facts:

• Red Cornsnakes are nocturnal and spend a lot of time crawling through rodent burrows.
• They constrict their prey by wrapping one or more coils of the body around it and squeezing.

Best places to see in Tennessee: Old barns or buildings near mixed pine-hardwood forests.