Pantherophis guttatus
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
The corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus), sometimes called the Red Rat Snake is a species of North American rat snake in the family Colubridae. The species subdues its small prey by constriction. It is found throughout the southeastern and central United States. Though superficially resembling the venomous copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and often killed as a result of this mistaken identity, the corn snake lacks functional venom and is harmless to humans. The corn snake is beneficial to humans because it helps control populations of wild rodent pests that damage crops and spread disease.
The corn snake is named for the species' regular presence near grain stores, where it preys on mice and rats that eat harvested corn (maize). The Oxford English Dictionary cites this usage as far back as 1675, whilst other sources maintain that the corn snake is so-named because the distinctive, nearly-checkered pattern of the snake's belly scales resembles the kernels of variegated corn.
The genus name Panthērophis literally means "panther snake" in reference to the snake's panther-like skin pattern; from Ancient Greek: πάνθηρ : pánthēr "panther", and Ancient Greek: ὄφις : óphis... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Corn Snake sighting in Everglades National Park on a given day, based on 274 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 13th most-seen of the 54 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Corn Snake in Everglades National Park on a given day, against about 20% in December to February, the lowest months. That is one of Everglades National Park's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain against 40 mm in March.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Corn Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Corn Snake sightings, Everglades National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 40%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Corn Snake that you can see in Everglades National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are North American Racer (about 40%), Scarletsnake (about 30%) and Banded Water Snake (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Corn Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Everglades National Park (274 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
