Corn snake
Background
The corn snake is not native to Australia, but has been found in all states of Australia.
These snakes are popular in the in overseas pet trade. While it is illegal to keep them as pets in Australia, most animals found here have escaped or been released from the illegal pet trade.
It is illegal to keep, transport, sell or release corn snakes in South Australia under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019.
Impacts
Corn snakes are a serious pest that:
- spread disease to native species
- compete with native species
- predate on native species.
Identification
The corn snake is slender, between 60 and 180 cm in length.
They are commonly orange, but can also be reddish-brown, brown or grey, with margined brown or reddish blotches. Their belly has alternating rows of black and white marks.
Captive breeding has also produced corn snakes with varied colours and patterns.
Due to their distinctive markings and colours, there are no native species in Australia the corn snake could be mistaken for.
Reporting corn snakes
The corn snake has not yet become established in South Australia. To make sure this doesn’t happen report all suspected sightings.
