Another theory relating to how corn snakes got their name comes from the early Europeans settlers. In fact, the corn snakes were, and remain, very helpful to farmers as they help keep down the rodent population. Natural History Corns are commonly found in deciduous forests, pine barrens, rocky hillsides and farm areas of the southeastern United States. They are most active at night or in the hours of dawn and dusk. While the Elaphe's feed on everything ranging from fish to frogs to rodents to mammals, the Corn starts off feeding on small invertebrates like crickets, quickly moving up to rodents.
Corns lay eggs, becoming sexually mature at around two years of age.
In the wild, hatchlings feed largely on small lizards and tree frogs, while adults feed on small rodents and birds, killing their prey by constriction. In captivity, hatchlings and adults feed quite happily on pre-killed mice. The average life span of these snakes is 10 years, although one was documented to be 21 years old. When selecting a corn or rat snake, look for a well-fleshed body, no visible cuts or abrasions, clear, alert eyes, tongue flicking, no signs of mites or ticks. The vent should be clean.