THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY

Reptilia    Squamata (part)    Colubridae  

Red Cornsnake
Pantherophis guttatus (Linnaeus, 1766)

SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
 Using genome-scale data, Myers et al. (2020, Molecular Ecology 29: 797–811) found support for three previously recognized species: P. guttatus, P. slowinskii, and P. emoryi. Subsequently, Marshall et al. (2021, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 162: 1–12) demonstrated support for the same three taxa but also found P. emoryi could further be divided into the subspecies P. e. meahllmorum and P. e. emoryi, and also suggested that P. slowinskii be considered a subspecies of P. emoryi. When subspecies are found to be distinct lineages, they are no different from the rank of species (see Burbrink et al., 2022, Ecology and Evolution 12: 1–17). We note that P. e. slowinskii is sister taxon to the other proposed subspecies of P. emoryi, and that all are distinct evolutionary lineages. In the present case, we at least, recognize P. slowinskii as a species, and recognize that P. emoryi consists of two taxa. See Burbrink et al. (2024, Ecology and Evolution 14: e70263) for reanalysis and evaluation of Marshall et al. (2021) demonstrating species status

Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2024.11.17.11.18.51)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 0.58 MB

Province/State Distribution:
USA: Alabama Delaware Florida Georgia Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Mississippi New Jersey North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Virginia West Virginia

First instance(s) of published English names:
Corn-snake (Anguis e rubro & albo varius: Catesby, Mark and Cromwell Mortimer. 1753. IX. A Continuation of an Account of an Essay Towards a Natural History of Carolina and the Bahama Islands. By Mark Catesby, F. R. S. with Some Extracts out of the Eighth Set. By Dr. Mortimer, Secr. R. S. Philosophical Transactions 39():251-258); Corn Snake (Anguis e rubro & albo varius: Catesby, Mark. 1754. The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands: Containing the Figures of Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Serpents, Insects, and Plants: Particularly the Forest-trees, Shrubs, and other Plants, not Hitherto Described, or Very Incorrectly Figured by Authors. Together with Their Descriptions in English and French. To which, are Added Observations on the Air, Soil, and Waters: with Remarks upon Agriculture, Grain, Pulse, Roots, &c. To the Whole, is Prefixed a New and Correct Map of the Countries Treated of. , London. pp.); Bead Snake (Coluber guttatus: Forster, John R. 1771. A systematic catalogue of all the known plants of English North-America or, a flora Americae Septentrionalis. Pages in From Forster's translation of Bossu, Travels through that part of North America formerly called Louisiana, Vol. 1. T. Davies, London, England. pp.); Red Chicken-snake (Coluber floridanus: Harlan, Richard. 1827. Genera of North American Reptilia, and a synopsis of the species Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences Philidelphia 5(2):317-372); Chicken Snake (Coluber guttatus: Yarrow, Henry C. 1876. List of Skeletons and Crania in the Section of Comparative Anatomy of the United States Army Medical Museum for use during the International Exhibition of 1876 in Connection with the Representation of the Medical Department U.S. Army. Army Medical Museum, Washington, D. C. pp.); Spotted Racer (Coluber guttatus: Jordan, David Starr. 1876. Manual of the Vertebrates of the Northern United States: Including the District East of the Mississippi River, and North of North Carolina and Tennessee, Exclusive of Marine Species. Jansen, McClurg, and Company, Chicago, Illinois.. 342pp.); Spotted Racer (Coluber guttatus: Jordan, David S. 1878. Manual of the Vertebrates of the Northern United States: Including the District East of the Mississippi River, and North of North Carolina and Tennessee, Exclusive of Marine Species. Second Edition, Revised, and Enlarged. Jansen, McClurg & Company, Chicago. pp.); Spotted Coluber (Coluber guttatus: Yarrow, Henry C. 1882. Check list of North American Reptilia and Batrachia with catalogue of specimens in U. S. National Museum. Bulletin of the United States National Museum (24):1-249); Fox Snake (Elaphis guttatus: Garman, H. 1892. A synopsis of the reptiles and amphibians of Illinois. Illinois Laboratory of Natural History Bulletin 3():215-403); Corn Snake (Elaphis guttatus: Garman, H. 1892. A synopsis of the reptiles and amphibians of Illinois. Illinois Laboratory of Natural History Bulletin 3():215-403); Corn Snake (Coluber guttatus: Rhoads, Samuel N. 1895. Contributions to the zoology of Tennessee. No. 1, Reptiles and amphibians. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 47():376-407); Chicken Snake (Coluber guttatus: Beyer, George. 1900. Louisana herpetology. Proceedings of the Louisiana Society of Naturalists 1897-1899():24-46); Corn-snake (Elaphe guttata: Stejneger, Leonhard H. and Thomas Barbour. 1917. A Checklist of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. pp.); Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata: Schmidt, Karl Peterson and D. D. Davis. 1941. Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. C.P. Putnam and Sons, New York. 365pp.); Rat Snake (Elaphe guttata: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.); Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata guttata: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.); Rosy Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata rosacea: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.);

Taxon Links:

  
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
  
The Reptile Database
  
NatureServe
  
iNaturalist
  
GenBank
  
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database

Selected References:
1766 Linné, Carl von (=Linneaus). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species with characters, differences, synonyms, places. Volume I.] Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm, Holmiae, Editio duodecima, reformata (12th Edition). 1-532pp.
1972 Baker, Robert J., George A. Mengden, and James J. Bull. Karyotypic studies of thirty-eight species of North American snakes . Copeia 1972(2):257-265
1975 Thomas, Richard A. Taxonomic chaos: Elaphe guttata (Linnaeus), a case in point. Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society 11(4):171-176
1983 Raymond, Larry R. and Laurence M. Hardy. Taxonomic status of the corn snake, Elaphe guttata (Linnaeus) (Colubridae), in Louisiana and eastern Texas. Southwestern Naturalist 28(1):105-107
1991 Seigel, Richard A. and Neil B. Ford. Phenotypic plasticity in the reproductive characteristics of an oviparous snake, Elaphe guttata: Implications for life history studies. Herpetologica 47(3):301-307
1991 Collins, Joseph T. Amphibians and reptiles in the upper Mississippi river valley: Systematic and distributional problems. Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science 66(4):149-152
1994 Smith, Hobart M., David Chiszar, J. R. Staley II, and K. Tepedelen. Populational relationships in the Corn Snake Elaphe guttata (Reptilia: Serpentes). Texas Journal of Science 46:259-292
1994 Smith, Hobart M., D. Chiszar, J. R. Staley and K. Tepedelen. Populational Relationships in the Corn Snake Elaphe guttata (Reptilia, Serpentes). Texas Journal of Science 46(3):259-292
2001 Helfenberger, Notker. Phylogenetic relationships of Old World ratsnakes based on visceral organ topography, osteology, and allozyme variation. Russian Journal of Herpetology 8(supplement):1-62
2002 Burbrink, Frank T. Phylogeographic analysis of the Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata) complex as inferred from maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 25:465-476
2007 Burbrink, Frank T. and Robin Lawson. How and when did Old World ratsnakes disperse into the New World? Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 43:173-189
2008 Collins, Joseph T. and Travis W. Taggart. An alternative classification of the New World rat snakes (genus Pantherophis [Reptilia: Squamata: Colubridae]). Journal of Kansas Herpetology (26):16-18
2020 Myers, Edward A., McKelvy, Alexander D., and Burbrink, Frank T. Biogeographic barriers, Pleistocene refugia, and climatic gradients in the southeastern Nearctic drive diversification in Cornsnakes (Pantherophis guttatus complex). Molecular Ecology 29:797-811
2021 Marshall, Thomas L., E. Anne Chambers, Mikhail V. Matz, and David M. Hillis. How mitonuclear discordance and geographic variation have confounded species boundaries in a widely studied snake. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution (162):1-12
2022 Burbrink, Frank T., Brian I. Crother, Christopher M. Murray, Brian Tilston Smith, Sara Ruane, Edward A. Myers, and Robert Alexander Pyron. Empirical and philosophical problems with the subspecies rank. Ecology and Evolution 12(7):1-17
2022 Burbrink, Frank T., Brian I. Crother, Christopher M. Murray, Brian Tilston Smith, Sara Ruane, Edward A. Myers, and Robert Alexander Pyron. Empirical and philosophical problems with the subspecies rank. Ecology and Evolution 12(7):1-17
2024 Burbrink, Frank T., Edward A. Myers, R. Alexander Pyron. Understanding species limits through the formation of phylogeographic lineages. Ecology and Evolution 14(10):1-18
2024 Harrington, Sean, Isaac Overcast, Edward A. Myers, and Frank T. Burbrink. Pleistocene glaciation drove shared population coexpansion in eastern North American snakes. Molecular Ecology https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17625:e17625

THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY — Accessed: Saturday 26 April 2025 23:26 CT