They are powerful constrictors--just like their cousin the Ratsnake. They eat Rodents such as Rats, Mice, Chipmunks, Squirrels, Moles, Bats, Voles, Shrews and so on. A big healthy Cornsnake is a Rodents worst enemy! Cornsnakes will also eat birds and their eggs when they get the chance.
The
Cornsnake
These beautiful snakes (one of my favorites!) are members of the Ratsnake family. They are often found around old buildings, barns and woodsheds--anywhere you might find their favorite food--rodents. They, like the other Ratsnakes, kill their prey by powerful constriction. Other food items include: lizards, birds and their eggs--chickens included--and rabbits. Although they do occasionally eat chicken eggs they are very beneficial to have around the farm. The number of harmful rodents they consume more than pays for their occasional habit of nest robbing. Speaking of nest robbing--these snakes, along with the other Ratsnakes, are excellent tree climbers. They have to be in order to get up into the high canopy where the birds nest. Tree climbers? How without hands and feet you may ask? Below is a good example of a Cornsnake climbing a Loblolly Pine in South Carolina. Notice how he uses the coils of his body to push against the furrows in the bark and climb the tree as if it were a ladder--truly amazing!!
Another unique adaptation of the Ratsnakes is the shape of the body. It is flat on the bottom and round on the top--this gives the animal "corners" so to speak. It uses these corners to hold onto and push against things when climbing. They also use their prehensile tail like a hand or a locking safety device when climbing. As they move through the branches of a tree or the rafters of a barn they will be holding on as they go with the end of their tail--just in case the wind blows and they loose their grip.
To go back to the Snake Game click:HERE
Cornsnake
These beautiful snakes (one of my favorites!) are members of the Ratsnake family. They are often found around old buildings, barns and woodsheds--anywhere you might find their favorite food--rodents. They, like the other Ratsnakes, kill their prey by powerful constriction. Other food items include: lizards, birds and their eggs--chickens included--and rabbits. Although they do occasionally eat chicken eggs they are very beneficial to have around the farm. The number of harmful rodents they consume more than pays for their occasional habit of nest robbing. Speaking of nest robbing--these snakes, along with the other Ratsnakes, are excellent tree climbers. They have to be in order to get up into the high canopy where the birds nest. Tree climbers? How without hands and feet you may ask? Below is a good example of a Cornsnake climbing a Loblolly Pine in South Carolina. Notice how he uses the coils of his body to push against the furrows in the bark and climb the tree as if it were a ladder--truly amazing!!
Another unique adaptation of the Ratsnakes is the shape of the body. It is flat on the bottom and round on the top--this gives the animal "corners" so to speak. It uses these corners to hold onto and push against things when climbing. They also use their prehensile tail like a hand or a locking safety device when climbing. As they move through the branches of a tree or the rafters of a barn they will be holding on as they go with the end of their tail--just in case the wind blows and they loose their grip.
To go back to the Snake Game click:HERE
Another unique adaptation of the Ratsnakes is the shape of the body. It is flat on the bottom and round on the top--this gives the animal "corners" so to speak. It uses these corners to hold onto and push against things when climbing. They also use their prehensile tail like a hand or a locking safety device when climbing. As they move through the branches of a tree or the rafters of a barn they will be holding on as they go with the end of their tail--just in case the wind blows and they loose their grip.
To go back to the Snake Game click:HERE