Fun Fact Fiesta Logo

Slithering Surprises: Top 10 Fascinating and Fun Facts About Corn Snakes You Never Knew!

illustration of corn-snakes
Get ready to be a-maize-d by the wonderful world of corn snakes and discover the fascinating, colorful, and slithery secrets they hold!

1. Pest Control Comedians

Corn snakes: the pest control agents who moonlight as comedians, delivering the one-two punch of keeping our crops safe while making rats scurry in fear. In a plot-twist that would leave M. Night Shyamalan shook, these fearless serpents get their name from their cornfield hunting grounds, not from being corn connoisseurs: as the slithery (yet stylish) defenders of agriculture, they munch on those pesky mice and rats that threaten our crops and health with diseases.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Corn Snake Family Tree

If you thought keeping up with the Kardashians was tough, try tracking the ever-growing corn snake family tree: There are over 800 documented morphs of corn snakes, each with their own unique pattern or color, selectively bred by professional breeders to create popular varieties such as the Lavender, Okeetee, or Snow morphs.
Source => everythingreptiles.com

3. Spider-Man Snake Scaling

If Spider-Man were a snake, he'd probably be a corn snake, scaling walls with super slithery powers: Corn snakes are expert climbers, mastering brick and stone walls using "concertina locomotion," but are foiled by the smooth walls of plastered or wallpapered surfaces, as they predominantly reside on the ground.
Source => pets-and-animals.purplepedia.com

4. Oscar-Worthy Snake Mimicry

When it comes to faking it until they make it, corn snakes could give an Oscar-winning performance: these slithery thespians brilliantly mimic the appearance and sound of rattlesnakes to deter potential predators and gracefully escape danger.
Source => cosleyzoo.org

Charming Reptilian Pets

5. Charming Reptilian Pets

Whoever said "snakes, why'd it have to be snakes?" clearly never met a corn snake: an utterly charming reptilian delight that not only makes an excellent low-maintenance pet but also excels in pest control, putting those pesky rodents out of commission and keeping disease at bay.
Source => nationalzoo.si.edu

6. Sweet Tooth Egg-Crackers

You wouldn't think corn snakes have a sweet tooth, but they certainly know how to make the perfect egg-scramble: They come equipped with a special scale called an egg tooth, which helps them crack open their eggs as they hatch, starting their slithery lives with a skill only found in certain snake species.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Shed-Skin Cannibals

Do corn snakes have a taste for irony or are they just shed-heads in disguise? These slithery soiree crashers have claimed fame for pulling a Hannibal Lecter on their very own skin: Corn snakes, though uncommon in the wild, have been observed eating their shed skin, especially in captivity. While there's no nutritional benefit, it is thought that this quirky behavior may help remove potential parasites from their enclosure, or stem from stress and confusion. Now that's a skin-worthy tale!
Source => thereptileroom.net

8. Grab-and-Go Diners

Corn snakes are nature's slithering "grab-and-go" diners, snatching up rodents, frog legs, birds, and even taking a crack at eggs whenever they please: These constricting connoisseurs enjoy a diverse menu ranging from rodents, amphibians, birds, and bird eggs to various small animals like rats, mice, chicks, hamsters, gerbils, quail, multimammate mice, and guinea pigs – which can all be conveniently delivered frozen straight to your doorstep! Just remember to size their meals according to their age and growth stage, starting with pinky mice for hatchlings and eventually graduating to larger prey for adult snakes.
Source => exoticdirect.co.uk

9. Hide-and-Seek Champs

Corn snakes: the hide-and-seek champions of the reptile world, always leaf-ing no trace behind! These slithery tricksters love to burrow through debris and long grass, while also enjoying a good stealthy lair in their enclosures. When the colder weather kicks in, they certainly don't hibernate; instead, they level up their "chill mode" with a slowed activity period called brumation for a few weeks, not required by their captive kin. Fun fact: playing it cool during brumation might just give the male corn snake a leg up in producing more sperm and sex hormones. Ladies and gentle-snakes, let the games begin!
Source => thereptileguide.com

Scaled Rodent Removers

10. Scaled Rodent Removers

Serpent superiority in rodent removal, featuring scaly superheroes and colorful characters that slither into the hearts of humans: Corn snakes play a vital role in pest control by devouring pesky rodents while also being a popular pet choice for their manageable size, gentle demeanor, and low-maintenance lifestyle.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Related Fun Facts