Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi there:

At a local herpetological society meeting, I recently saw an albino corn snake. Sure, I know that these guys get long, but this is really no exageration. This thing was about 7 feet long, and really, really thick. It was about as thick as an adult's thigh. It weighed really heavy, and 3 people had plenty of room holding it. I caught a 5 1/2 foot black rat snake in Southeastern PA, but this corn snake just dwarfed it. It was really monstrous, and I almost felt that there was something wrong with it...

DAVE

most likely this was a rat snake. they are commonly mistaken for each other. Being a 7 foot albino "corn" snake...most likely this was an albino black ratsnake. these grow commonly to 7 feet, record length being 108 inches. (9 feet)
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The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -Unknown

Hi there:

I easily understand why you think that this was a black rat snake. But I identified it as a corn snake. It was a cream color with vibrant red blotches along its back, a very checkered underbelly, and a "V" on its forehead. It also had very large eyes. It could hardly move. It just lay there, ocassionally flicking its tongue in and out. It was monstrous.

DAVE

Maybe it could have been an albino black rat snake? I never seen a corn snake get over 5 1/2 feet personally but I am sure some have gotten bigger then that. 7 feet seems a little to large for a corn..sounds more like a black rat!

Where are you located in SE PA? I am in Chester County and I have seen Black Racers that are 5 feet out here! I haven't seen to many rat snakes this year but I really haven't went out looking for them either!

Hi there:

I do not live in Southeastern Pennsylvania. I just vacationed there to look for herps. The black rat snake was coiled up in a public flower garden out in the open at ground level. He was extremely docile. I posted some pictures on the rat snake forum. You might have to look back a few pages. The post is titled "Amazing black rat catch!"

DAVE

Ive seen pics of Marcel's 6 foot corn and he is a brute.

>>Ive seen pics of Marcel's 6 foot corn and he is a brute.

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Marcel Poots (Holland)
'Where is your crown King Nothing?' James Hettfield

I'm an adult, my thigh is about as big around as a burmese python, ok mine arent small, but my sister, who is skinny has thighs as big around as a small burm. I'm not saying you are lieing, but I am haveing a real hard time imagining a corn snake that big around, how big is it's head? My adult corns head is only a few inches, long and about an inch wide. I had an almost six foot rainbow boa who was no bigger around than my wrist, his head was about an inch bigger than my corns, both length and width. A snake with the girth the size of a humans thigh should have a huge head.
Maybe your comparison is off?
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FireDrake

1.2 Corn Snake - Basilisk, Belladonna and Kestrel
1.1 Tangerine Hondurans - Hellboy and Watchtower
0.1 Western Hognose - Midori
1.0 Ball Python - Mandrake
0.1 California King Snake - Deneb
2.0 Jungle Corn Snake - Lestat and Uruk-Hai
1.1 Mali Uromastyx - ET and Aughra
0.2 Bearded Dragons - Chupacabra and FoxGlove
0.1 Chilean Rose-hair Tarantula - Shelob
0.1 Cinnamon Pearl Cockatiel - Bubo
2.0 Society Finches - Pesto and Clockwork
2.0 Bettas - Hydra and Kraken

Hi there:

Perhaps it was a little off. But not much. I really can't picture anything to compare its width to. Its head was about 4 inches long. Perhaps the thickness would better be described as the diameter of an adults lower leg. I know that this all may sound really ridiculous, and I really wanted to get a picture. However, the owner didn't want a whole bunch of fuss over it. Perhaps this snake could be described as obese. At the reptile store they had one of very similar size (normal color phase) who sold for about $145.00.

DAVE

Even the diameter of "an adults lower leg" is huge. I've seen a few Elaphe that are about as big around as a soda can, but that's about the biggest I've ever seen, and they were of various ratsnakes (a grey ratsnake, a black ratsnake, and a Taiwan beauty ratsnake), not cornsnakes (yes, I know the cornsnake is a ratsnake, but you understand). And their heads were only about 2 inches long, definitely no where near 4 inches. Do you know what an inch is? This may seem like a dumb question but I don't mean it as such... my husband has no clue what an inch is, he only understands the metric system.
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alstiver@hotmail.com

1.0 2001 Coral snow cornsnake
0.1 2002 Pastel Ghost poss Het Amelanistic cornsnake
1.1 2002 Bloodred cornsnakes
0.1 1998 Het Hypo, Het Caramel cornsnake (gravid w/second clutch)
1.0 2000 Hypo Het Caramel cornsnake
0.0.13 2004 Eggs (potentially normals, hypos, caramels, and ambers)

about your husband not knowing what an inch is? Or maybe I am the only dirty guy who got a good laugh out of that...
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0.0.1 Amel Motley Corn (Cosmo '03)
0.1 Baird's ratsnake (Sugaree '04)
1.1 Shepherd mix (Dylan 5yrs, Porter 20weeks)

my thoughts exactly

Hi there:

I am definately not one to start an argument over the meere size of a corn snake. I am certainly not saying that any of you started an argument, or did anything insulting or wrong, but I fear that it may turn into one. I think that we've all had a story before that was hard to believe for just about anyone. If I hadn't seen this monster before, I would definately feel the same way as all of you.
I am pretty sure that that large snake is dead by now, but not within my mind. My camera never took a picture, but my brain did. A picture that I can admire and treasure whenever I want. It is things like that snake that make people kind and understanding of eachother. Experiences that make us feel as if we were in someone elses shoes.
I would like to say that it has been an honor for me to share the tale of the giant corn snake that really lived.

DAVE

Hi there:

By the way, please excuse me for my poor mathematical skills. My estimating is a tad off, and the snake may have actually been more like 6 feet in length. That is all.

DAVE

no one is argueing, you just gotta understand we're all corn snake freaks here and the thought of a corn snake the size of a boa, (or burmese python) is laughable. We're not doubting you saw a large corn, I know there are obese ones out there. They usually have an itty bitty head, its called having a pin-head.
We're all just trying to understand, and sad theres no picture.

No worries!!
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FireDrake

1.2 Corn Snake - Basilisk, Belladonna and Kestrel
1.1 Tangerine Hondurans - Hellboy and Watchtower
0.1 Western Hognose - Midori
1.0 Ball Python - Mandrake
0.1 California King Snake - Deneb
2.0 Jungle Corn Snake - Lestat and Uruk-Hai
1.1 Mali Uromastyx - ET and Aughra
0.2 Bearded Dragons - Chupacabra and FoxGlove
0.1 Chilean Rose-hair Tarantula - Shelob
0.1 Cinnamon Pearl Cockatiel - Bubo
2.0 Society Finches - Pesto and Clockwork
2.0 Bettas - Hydra and Kraken

I hope that my stupid joke didn't make you think I was talking about you. My comment had nothing to do with your snake, only about the husband and not knowing how big an inch is. I meant no harm or disrespect. I'm sorry.
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0.0.1 Amel Motley Corn (Cosmo '03)
0.1 Baird's ratsnake (Sugaree '04)
1.1 Shepherd mix (Dylan 5yrs, Porter 20weeks)

>>Hi there:
>>
>> I am definately not one to start an argument over the meere size of a corn snake. I am certainly not saying that any of you started an argument, or did anything insulting or wrong, but I fear that it may turn into one. I think that we've all had a story before that was hard to believe for just about anyone. If I hadn't seen this monster before, I would definately feel the same way as all of you.
>> I am pretty sure that that large snake is dead by now, but not within my mind. My camera never took a picture, but my brain did. A picture that I can admire and treasure whenever I want. It is things like that snake that make people kind and understanding of eachother. Experiences that make us feel as if we were in someone elses shoes.
>> I would like to say that it has been an honor for me to share the tale of the giant corn snake that really lived.
>>
>>DAVE

Why would the snake be dead now?
did I miss something?
When did you see it?
I was under the impression that you saw it recently.
That is what you said. Why would it have suddenly died?
You may take it personally but you must understand how hard it is to beleive.
I had a healthy seven foot Burmese Python that was as big around as my forarm. My arms are not small but there is no way my forarms are as big as my calves. In comparison, for that python to be as big around as my calves it would probably have had to be around 9 feet long.
So, unfortunately this is one we will just have to take with a grain of salt.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

NP

Hi there:

Oh, I know that none of you meant any harm. I think the joke about the inch is hilarious! I never was a big metric system fan myself. No harm has been done, and I was only worried that it would turn into an argument. You all seem very knowledgeable about corn snakes, and I look forward to corresponding with you in the future. I am sorry if you misinterpreted MY message. I understand perfectly what was going on. Nobody needs to apologize, because nobody did anything.

DAVE

Hi Dave, I haven't missed a meeting in over a year, but don't recall any large snakes other than Bear my Carpet Python who is obviously not who you are talking about. Is there another Herp Club that you go to? I sure would love to see the snake, sorry if it's unhealthy or even dead. If it was owned by one of our members, who's was it and maybe I can contact them for a picture? We are supposed to have a KC meeting on Sept 4th but it's up in the air. If we do have one then I'll see ya there. Check out my website (link in my sig) for pics of my new rescue Iggy, he won't be coming to any of the meetings since he's not handlable right now. I also picked up some Mississippi Mud Turtles, cute little things, pics of them on there too... See ya round!
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Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snakes (Suezo)
1.0 Banded Water Snake (Ripley)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (working on names)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Gimli)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)

Hi there:

I saw this snake and its owner the first time I attended a meeting, and haven't seen them since. It sure was fantastic. I think it was in December of 2000. While it may be hard to find the exact snake, did you see that one of similar size at Pets Plus? It was on the bottom of the snake rack, and was a couple of inches shorter. The corn snake was probably 6 feet long. Now that I got out the tape measure, I realize that it definately wasn't seven. My math skills are dreadful...
Bear definately is usually the only large snake at the meeting. I only saw two others that large. One was a Columbian boa named Pinkie, and the second was a green Anaconda at a meeting where only me and someone else showed up. Its owners were from Eerie Pennsylvania.
I visited your site to see the mud turtle pictures. They really are cute! I have a male and female pair of red-cheeked mud turtles. They are the ones from Markheim's. They have bred but not yet laid eggs.
However, my Pygmy leaf chameleons laid eggs, all of which were fertilized and hatched into 4 babies! You should check out the pictures in the chameleon photo gallery.
I'll see you at the next meeting.

DAVE

In the original post you said you just saw the "huge" corn snake at a recent meeting.
Then in the response to Lyn's question you said you saw it in 2000.
Maybe you are not only confused about when you saw it but it's size and species also.
just wondering
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

That explains it then. I didn't join until June of 2002.

That is AWESOME about your little Pygmys!!! Congrats. They are just the cutest little guys!!! I loved this picture from your page...

I missed the big Corn at Pets Plus. I don't go there very often, so it's not really surprising that I missed it.

I've seen the Anaconda from PA. I don't think they bring him out anymore in public, he's gotten pretty big.

Good luck with your mud turtles! I am having fun with the Mississippi's. They hide alot, but that just makes it that much more rewarding if you see one out! I'm still waiting to hear if we have a meeting on the first Sat in September. I'll let you know!
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Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snakes (Suezo)
1.0 Banded Water Snake (Ripley)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (working on names)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Gimli)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)

Hi there:

Recently? Now why did I write that? Oh well, I really wish you could have seen it. I think the owner must have moved or something, because the corn snake was enormous! 5 1/2 to 6 feet at the least!

DAVE