Harmless · North Carolina
Corn Snake
Pantherophis guttatus
Orange to reddish snake with bold blotches and a checkered belly.
At a glance
Size
Usually 30-48 inches.
North Carolina range
Piedmont, Coastal Plain
Habitat
pine woods, farms, old buildings
Diet
Mice, rats, birds, bird eggs, and lizards.
Pattern
blotches
Venomous
No
How to identify it
Orange, reddish, or brownish snake with large dark-bordered dorsal blotches and a distinctive black-and-white checkered belly.
Where to look in North Carolina
Found mainly in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.
Pine woods, fields, farms, old buildings, and wooded edges.
Regional maps show broad physiographic provinces, not county-level records.
Photo guide
Use the gallery to check pattern, body shape, and context—not just overall color.
