Corn Snake

Pantherophis guttatus — Colubridae

24–48 inches

IUCN

Least Concern

Federal (US)

None

Virginia

None

VWAP Tier

Not Listed

Habitat

terrestrialforestgrassland

Found in Virginia

Coastal plain Piedmont

How to identify

Orange or brownish-yellow body with reddish blotches bordered by black
Black and white checkerboard pattern on belly
Spear-shaped marking on top of head
Slender body with weakly keeled scales
Round pupils

About this species

A beautifully patterned snake of the coastal plain and piedmont, the corn snake is one of Virginia's most attractive native species. They are orange or reddish with dark-bordered reddish blotches and a distinctive black-and-white checkered belly pattern. Corn snakes are popular in the pet trade, so encountered animals may occasionally be escaped pets rather than wild individuals.

Often confused with

Eastern Copperhead

Copperheads have hourglass-shaped bands (not blotches), elliptical pupils, and a plain copper-colored head without a spear marking

Scarlet Kingsnake

Scarlet kingsnakes have red, black, and yellow banding; corn snakes have reddish blotches on an orange background

Did you know

"The corn snake gets its name not from eating corn, but from the checkered pattern on its belly, which resembles the multicolored kernels of Indian corn."

Sightings & citizen science

Help document Virginia wildlife by logging your sightings on iNaturalist. Every observation builds the conservation data that researchers and rehabbers depend on.

View Corn Snake observations on iNaturalist ↗

Found one injured?

If you've found an injured or displaced Corn Snake in Virginia, our triage guide walks you through what to do.

Triage guide →