Corn snake

Corn snake
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Pantherophis
Species:	P. guttatus
Binomial name
	Pantherophis guttatus; (Linnaeus, 1766)
Synonyms
	Coluber guttatus ; Linnaeus, 1766; Elaphis guttatus ; — A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & ; A.H.A. Duméril, 1854; Elaphe guttata ; — Stejneger & Barbour, 1917; Pantherophis guttatus ; — Utiger et al., 2002;

The corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus), sometimes called the Red Rat Snake is a species of North American rat snake in the family Colubridae. The species subdues its small prey by constriction. It is found throughout the southeastern and central United States. Though superficially resembling the venomous copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and often killed as a result of this mistaken identity, the corn snake lacks functional venom and is harmless to humans. The corn snake is beneficial to humans because it helps control populations of wild rodent pests that damage crops and spread disease.