Pantherophis guttatus
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Corn Snake sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 198 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 35 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and June
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Corn Snake in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in November, the lowest month.
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.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Corn Snake sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 40%) and Everglades National Park (United States, about 30%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Corn Snake that you can see in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are North American Racer (about 30%), Banded Water Snake (about 20%) and Common Garter Snake (about 10%), 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 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (198 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.
