Corn snake

Description:

The Red Cornsnake (Pantherophis guttatus), corn snake, or red rat snake, is a North American species of rat snake that subdues its small prey by constriction. The name "corn snake" is a holdover from the days when southern farmers stored harvested ears of corn in a wood frame or log building called a crib. Rats and mice came to the corn crib to feed on the corn, and corn snakes came to feed on the rodents. Wildtype corn snakes are orange with black lines around red colored saddle markings going down their back with black and white checkered bellies.

Habitat:

Wild corn snakes prefer habitats such as overgrown fields, forest openings, trees, palmetto flatwoods and abandoned or seldom-used buildings and farms, from sea level to as high as 6,000 feet. Typically, these snakes remain on the ground until the age of 4 months old but can ascend trees, cliffs and other elevated surfaces. They can be found in the southeastern United States ranging from New Jersey to the Florida Keys and as far west as Texas.

Notes:

Found snake near our pond, it is 1 foot long, just hatched this year. *Please remember that it is illegal to remove or harm any native species in Tennessee, all the snakes caught near my house are relocated to a National Refuge down the road.