Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am sure this comes up alot. But how do you tell the differance in a Corn/Rat. In Cap/Wild.

First of all, just to be clear: A corn snake IS a ratsnake. That said, there are many ways to look at your question. In the wild, I would always start with a good field guide(Peterson, perhaps) to let me know what KINDS of snakes are in the area. You can eliminate possibilities this way.

Many of the ratsnakes that would be found within the cornsnake's range are very distinctive and different from your typical corn...especially a wild "natural" one.

Where it can get a bit confusing is when dealing with all the different morphs of corns and other ratsnakes. For example, amelanistic (often called albino) North American Ratsnakes can have some very similar looks to them. Purchasing from a reliable dealer can be a huge plus here, especially for the uninitiated.

Corns do tend to have some distinctive features, such as the "spear" on the top of the head, the checkerboard pattern underneath, and a postocular stripe that usually extends into the neck. These are not always present, however.

Where it gets really confusing is when folks start tinkering with breeding corns to the other ratsnakes. Also, the corn is often called the "red ratsnake" which makes some people think that it is maybe NOT a corn.

A good book or two, dealing with reliable breeders, and personal experience are your best tools. Duffy