Corn snakes feed on mice.
An anerthystic corn snake is a member of the species pantherophis guttatus that lacks red pigment. This lack of pigment is a recessive mutation. The red pigment provides a wide range of color variations among normal corn snakes, including shades of orange and brown. An anerthystic corn snake will only exhibit shades of black, brown, or gray. Also known as an anery, this snake may show a hint of yellow around its chin at maturity.
Corn snakes can eat frogs.
These snakes are found throughout the southeastern and central United States. The length of an adult snake can vary, from 24 to 72 inches (61 to 182 centimeters). All corn snakes follow the same feeding and breeding habits as normal corn snakes.
Anerthystic corn snakes are diurnal reptiles that feed every few days. Baby snakes typically eat small lizards and frogs, while adults feed on rats, mice, bats, and birds. They bite the prey to get a good grip and then suffocate it by wrapping it in various coils and using constriction. The prey is swallowed whole. An animal will occasionally eat live prey if the prey is small.
An anerthystic corn snake does not eat corn as its name implies. The name was coined when farmers used to keep their corn crop in wooden cradles accessible to worms. Rodents were attracted to the corn and these snakes fed on rats and mice.
These snakes breed in the spring and during the summer lay clutches of 10 to 30 eggs in places such as decaying logs and decaying vegetation, where the heat and humidity incubate them. The snakes do not care for the eggs or the babies, which are 10 to 15 inches long when they hatch. These snakes take 1.5 to 3 years to reach maturity.
An anerthystic corn snake sheds its skin frequently as it grows older. Baby snakes shed their skin once every two weeks. As they age, the period of time between moults increases. An adult snake sheds its skin only a few times a year.
These nonvenomous snakes are popular pets because they are gentle and rarely bite. They display attractive patterns that appeal to those who like to keep snakes as pets. The snakes can live up to 23 years in captivity, but have a considerably shorter lifespan in the wild.