This is Mona

Oh she will definitely have a forever home with me. I love her to death and my son loves me so much that he spent his time and hard earned money to give his mommy something she really wanted even if it's not truly a corn. Of course I will not tell him this because it will truly break his heart so it's our secret lol. I will try to get some more pics this weekend closer up when I take her out for handling time. I'm just glad that I get to stay here and continue learning about these amazing lovelies. I am definitely not upset if she turns out not to be a true corn. I am upset with the pet store if they did this.

Now of course I live in Canada so could it be that the pet shops here consider all rat snakes to be corns and also the other way around? That could very well be and if so then I really can't fault them for that. If on the other hand they truly did know that it's not a corn and sold it as such then they are in the wrong. I know I will never get another from them again that's for sure. I do thank everyone for helping me with this as I was very confused.

Karl. The almost complete lack of head pattern and the peaked saddles are not corn snake traits in any morph. Op, if the snake is getting yellow, it could be instead a yellow rat snake. The only difference in care is they are more arboreal than corns and they also get quite a bit larger.

I still say You have a corn snake Ninabeena. Don't worry about it. Most of these folks wouldn't know the difference between a corn snake and a football bat anyway.

I am enclosing 4 pictures with this post. All 4 of them look similar to your snake. 2 of them are corn snakes, 2 of them are grey rat snakes. This is why people sometimes get confused.

That is extremely rude. Middle 2 are corns. Baby on the bottom lacks head pattern the way many non corn north American rat snakes do.
Because op said there is yellow, and because of the extra peaks, that plus the lack of head pattern points more towards a baby yellow rat snake

I'd like to see better head pics, too. The proximal saddles REALLY stand out to me.

You know, biologists call cornsnakes red rats.

Grey rats = most lovable ratsnake of all. Wild adults are often puppy dog tame.

Black rats = also super cool. I took a wild adult on a MTB ride once, to catch up with friends. He did not care.

Yellow rats = like to get in people's houses, may be bitey, but tame down and are cool.

Red rats = most popular pet snake ever, for a reason.

Texas rats = maybe crabby AF, but might be nice.

And that is my ratsnake experience.

Hi congrats on your new snake
I love this site you can always get help
I can’t see a reason why you should not be allowed
Can’t wait to see more pictures and see her grow
Pat


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I go absolutley with Nanci and Shiari !

The 4 pics are not heavy to differe when you got a little knowlegde !!
I make this whole cornsnake thing since 2007 and with time comes knowledge, I never say that I know everything but that I know NOTHING like you SAID thats rude and its not the truth !
The pictures from Nina are not the best, but you can definetley see that the head is different and the saddles are too...

It makes me sad and angry that some people think they have eaten their knowledge with spoon's

I have made a handy dandy picture comparing 8 north american rat snake head patterns and saddle patterns. I'm sorry that the yellow rat is a bit older than the others. People apparently don't like to post clear pictures of baby yellow rats. But it's still clear enough.

1 & 2- Typical corn snake head pattern and saddle pattern. Note the complete central pattern that is typically present unless there is a pattern modifying gene present such as masque, stripe, or sunkissed. Of which the OPs snake is not one of. Also note the generally rounded bottom edge of the saddle. This is fairly typical but saddle edges can be more square, uneven, or slightly peaked in non-banded individuals.

3&4- Black rat. Note the near absence of the central part of the head pattern and very narrow brow band. Also note the strong downward peak to the saddles. There is of course variation, but this is typical.

5&6- Gray rat snake. Almost absent head pattern. Saddles small, spaced far apart, and deeply scalloped.

7&8- Yellow rat. Almost absent head pattern. Saddle margins deeply scalloped and pointed.

9&10- Baird's rat snake. Brow band present. Central pattern mostly absent but better defined than on a black rat. Saddles are very narrow.

11&12- Emoryi rat snake. Head pattern and saddles are very much like a corn. However, head pattern typically extends onto the neck, often resulting in a couple paired blotches of saddles.

13&14- Texas rat snake. Brow band present, but central head pattern primarily absent. Saddles are similar to corn with a slight downward peak. There is variation, but this is typical.

15&16- Eastern Fox Snake. Present head pattern, but unlike that seen on corns. Saddles are broad and often squared off, frequently alternating with the lateral patterning in an almost checkerboard fashion.

Now. The snake posted by Ninabeena is lacking most of the head pattern, and has rather strongly scalloped edges to the saddles, especially on the first third. These saddles and the head pattern most closely match that of the gray rat, and the yellow rat. However, as Nina said that it's getting yellow, that rules out the gray rat leaving the yellow rat snake as the most likely species of this snake.

Also, Nina, you are *more* than welcome to stay! You'll just simply have to post future photos in the "others" photo gallery. Welcome to the joy of owning rat snakes.

That comparison picture and explanation is really great, Shiari.