I heard this is not a corn its a ratsnake!!!

[newfie]

Hello, I have a few questions about one of the corn's we have.

We have a reddish colored corn that we think looks as close to a Cinnamon corn, however when he eats he attacks his food and spirals around it and also strikes it a lot.

We were told by a local pet store that this is the traits of a ratsnake not a corn and that it could be a hybrid of ratsnake and a corn......

First question is.....is that true?

Second.... Why is that behaviour there?

Third.....If it's a ratsnake is there any different needs then corns?

Forth...Is there a way to tell what it is for sure?



Thanks

 

[Okeetee_Corn_Snakes]

To answer your questions...


Most rat snakes are constrictors. They throw a few loops of their body around their prey and then slowly constrict.

Genus, Elaphe: This genus is mostly made up of rat snakes, corn snakes and fox snakes. The species name of the corn snake is Elaphe gutatta gutatta. So corn snakes are very much like rat snakes. Infact they used to be refered to as the "red rat snake" This would also explain why that behavior is occuring in your corn snake, if indeed it is a pure corn.

Rat snakes and corn snakes are very similar in care. Post a picture of your snake so we can rule out if it is pure corn, and if not, what type of ratsnake it has in it.

And as for your forth question, I am not an experienced enough keeper to know for sure. I do not even know if this is possible.

However, just because your snake coiled around his prey and started attacking it doesn't make it any less of a corn snake (if thats what it is) All of my corns do that with their food. Actually, my hypo does this more often than my texas rat snake.

 

[Okeetee_Corn_Snakes]

Ps. Don't listen to most Petstores.

I used to work in one and I know all their dirty little tricks. They even tried pulling one on me when I went in there one day...yikes!

 

[hartsock]

Good advice so far, post pic would be great....

But remember, every snake is different...I have corns that act very different from one another, I have redtail boas who also differ from one snake to the next...it may just beh the personality of your snake. One of my corns takes the prey so softly and gently that I wouldn't be afraid to put the item in my mouth and let her take it from there. Another one will strike with such force that it'll rip the prey from the tongs (sometimes leaving the tail if I hold on too tight) throw coils around it like a python taking down a warthog, and squeeze it till there is nothing left to the poor thing. Both are corns, both are creamsciles, both came from the same clutch...just different like people are different from each other.

 

[nlove_3000]

Head shape

I noticed my Texas rat snake's head is slightly different than my adult corns' heads....more muscular looking almost. Here's a pic of my rat snake for comparison On my corns their heads seem to taper and get smaller with very little hint of a neck. My rat snake however has a prominent neck and a strong looking jaw. I don't know if this is true for all rat snakes...but hey - hope this helps

 

[jaxom1957]

We were told by a local pet store that this is the traits of a ratsnake not a corn and that it could be a hybrid of ratsnake and a corn......

The person at the pet store is a moron.

Cornsnakes are rat snakes, a specific species of rat snake, just as poodles are a specific breed of dog. Cornsnakes have, essentially, the same traits as other rat snakes. If your snake is a hybrid, it would be a hybrid of cornsnake and another rat snake.

 

[hartsock]

Hey, not wanting to be one of those pain in the butt people, but....

please tell me that the light socket in the cage without a bulb isn't hot...

 

[nlove_3000]

Not at all -- I promise!!! Not plugged in at all. I am looking for ideas on what kind of safe guard I can build that would still let light through it though so I could make use of it with him harming himself.

 

[TandJ]

I wonder if this rat snake of yours is motley or stripe..

Welcome to the board, BTW, I have very little faith in most employees of pet stores.. Stick around this board and you are going to learn a heck of lot more than the store could bother to teach you..


Regards.. Tim of T and J

 

[Okeetee_Corn_Snakes]

Hear hear Tim. I agree! (Believe me I would know lol!) I had to teach quite a few people there how to take care of their snakes. I even learn more from this site than most books. However I have yet to read Kathy Love's book and a few others this site promotes.

 

[Topazfyre]

First question is.....is that true?

Second.... Why is that behaviour there?

Third.....If it's a ratsnake is there any different needs then corns?

Forth...Is there a way to tell what it is for sure?

1. It's true that corns are usually a bit more mellow than other ratsnakes with their food. However, I have a pure corn that also does this, and not all rat snakes are vicious eaters. Whether your snake strikes and coils food or not is in no way a basis for deciding if it's a hybrid or not.

2. Yeah, the others are right, cornsnake is a ratsnake.

3. Ratsnake needs hardly differ from those of corns. Maybe there are a few extremely minor care differences based on locality, but for the most part, it should be fine kept under the way you were keeping it as a corn.

4. There isn't really a way to tell in absolute certainty. There are certain rat snake markers in appearance, but most markers are very subtle and can show up even in pure corns.

Hope this helps! Someone correct this if anything is wrong.