Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Are corn snakes just a red rat snake?If not how did they get the name corn snake?It is something that has been puzzling me for awhile.any links or resources would be appreciated..Thanks

I have heard a couple different sources for the name. Some say name originated because they hang around in cornfields and eat the mice there. The other one is because of their coloration, sort of like indian corn.

they sometimes use the term red rat to describe wild snakes and corn to describe domestic
-----
my addiction:
2 normal ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
1 amelenistic corn snake (mazy)

>>they sometimes use the term red rat to describe wild snakes and corn to describe domestic
>>-----

Not so sure about that

Corn snakes are rat snakes....
a lot of corns in the wild tend to be a bit darker then the nice bright orange specimens you see in captivity and as they are red and are rat snakes they have been called red rat snakes.
I have never heard it used to distinguish wild from captive. At least not around here.
There are a couple of schools of thought as to how they got the name corn snake.
One is from being found in barns and "corn cribs" and similar areas leading to the name and the other is the belly patterning looking so much like Indian corn.
I would think that is probably a combination of both. Some areas maybe due to location and some areas do to appearance.
But I could simply be full of it, too....LOL

-----
Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes

_____

>>Are corn snakes just a red rat snake?If not how did they get the name corn snake?It is something that has been puzzling me for awhile.any links or resources would be appreciated..Thanks

The corn snake is in the same genus Elaphe (or Pantherophis if you will), as the rat, corn, and fox snakes. The correct name is Corn snake. However, due to the ignorance of many local people not knowing the actual name of the Corn, it, just like many other snakes, has been called by many names. i.e. Red rat snake, red cow snake, red pilot snake, red cow sucker, and probably many other names that I have not heard.

As the why the snake was named "corn" snake, is because its variegated black and white belly resembles native American corn, or maize. Hence the name, Corn snake.
Hope this helps.
Brian Baker

-----

RATS
2.0 Corn snakes "Warpath" & "Thunderbird" (KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Great plains rat snake "Reign Fire" (TX locale)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian