If you’re similar to most people, you probably don’t enjoy seeing snakes in your yard. Some are able to get used to seeing garden snakes and other common types, but even small ones can be unnerving.
When you’re weeding your garden, it’s not impossible that you’ll encounter them, depending on where you live. If you’ve noticed corn snakes in your yard lately, you might be quite worried.
They look a bit scary to some, and there’s a good chance that you don’t know a lot about them. Are corn snakes dangerous or should you just ignore them?
Keep reading to get more information about these reptiles. This will help you to understand whether they’re a threat or if you just need to stay calm and avoid thinking about them.
Corn Snakes Aren’t Dangerous
You’ll be happy to hear that corn snakes aren’t dangerous in any way. While it isn’t impossible to be bitten by a corn snake, it wouldn’t really be dangerous if one did happen to bite you.
These snakes don’t produce any venom, and this means that their bites aren’t even going to hurt you, for the most part. Humans don’t have anything to fear from corn snakes because they just aren’t capable of hurting them.
There might be situations where corn snakes will strike at you, though. Sometimes when they’re exposed, they’ll feel as if they’re in danger.
If you get too close to an exposed wild corn snake, it might try to strike at you in an effort to slither away. It’s only being aggressive because it’s concerned that you’re a threat.
Ignoring it will likely cause it to go on its way. A corn snake isn’t going to come up to you to try to attack you for no reason.
People Often Kill Corn Snakes
Despite the fact that corn snakes aren’t dangerous, they often get killed by humans. Corn snakes look somewhat similar to copperhead snakes, and this is why many people get scared when they see them.
Copperhead snakes are truly dangerous because they’re venomous. If you aren’t that familiar with snakes, there’s a good chance that you would mistake the two.
It isn’t necessary to kill a corn snake if you happen to see one. If you ever see a copperhead snake, it’s probably safer to just stay away from it, too.
If you’re at all concerned about copperhead snakes, you could call a local pest control service. They should be able to catch it for you so that it won’t cause you any harm.
Do Corn Snake Bites Hurt?
Knowing that corn snakes aren’t dangerous should set your mind at ease. That doesn’t mean that you want to get bitten by one, though.
If you do get bitten by a corn snake, it isn’t going to be a big deal. Since these snakes lack venom, you’re not going to need to go to the hospital or worry about your health if it happens.
Do the snake bites hurt? Well, they might hurt a little bit, but the pain isn’t that bad at all.
A corn snake bite will likely feel slightly painful at first. Some have compared the pain from a corn snake bite to a simple cat scratch.
Many People Keep Corn Snakes as Pets
Many people actually keep corn snakes as pets. They make pretty good pets because they aren’t as dangerous as many other types of snakes.
The fact that they have no venom makes getting bitten by a corn snake a non-issue. They also don’t bite people unless they feel that there is a good reason to.
If you’re interested in snakes, getting a corn snake as a pet isn’t a bad idea at all. So many people have had a good time caring for them.
They’re also very interesting from a visual perspective. Observing snakes such as this will be a lot of fun in and of itself.
How Do Corn Snakes Kill Their Prey?
Now that you know that corn snakes don’t have any venom, you’re likely wondering how they kill their prey. They actually do bite prey animals when they kill them, but it’s simply to hold what they’re trying to eat in place.
A corn snake will strike at its prey and hold them using its jaws. Then the snake will wrap itself around the prey and strangle it until it’s dead.
Once this is done, the corn snake will be able to consume its meal. There are other snakes that eat in similar ways, but you simply might not have known that if you’re not too familiar with snakes.
You don’t need to worry about corn snakes strangling you or anything. They don’t possess enough power to be able to harm a human in this fashion, and they wouldn’t even try to due to the size difference.
What If a Corn Snake’s Fang Breaks Off?
Sometimes you might notice that a corn snake will lose a fang. It might bite at something and then a fang will just be missing.
This isn’t actually that unusual because snakes lose their fangs from time to time. The fangs will grow back, and it’s normal for snakes to lose fangs and then grow new ones.
It helps to ensure that they’re in the right condition to hunt prey. Without this ability, the fangs would not be up to the task of helping them to hunt.
If you have a pet corn snake, you shouldn’t be at all concerned if it loses a fang. It’ll come back and your corn snake is going to be just fine.
Corn Snake Deterrent Options
Even though you know that corn snakes aren’t dangerous, you still might not want them around. If you’re just scared of snakes, this is understandable.
There are things that you can do to keep them from wanting to stay in your yard. It isn’t necessary to kill them or to take any other drastic measures.
One of the first things that you can try involves using ultrasonic repellent devices. You can place these devices in the ground outside and they will produce noises that can scare snakes away.
There are many types of ultrasonic devices on the market that are designed to deter certain animals. Just seek out a device that is meant to scare off snakes and it should work pretty well.
Placing one of these in your garden should keep you from encountering corn snakes while you’re weeding. These devices don’t cost much money and most of them are solar-powered.
Keeping your lawn cut short can also make a difference. If you’re able to cut your lawn regularly, that’ll give the snake fewer places to hide in the yard.
Snakes don’t want to hang out in areas where they will be exposed. It makes it harder for them to hunt, and they’re going to be more vulnerable to threats.
You could try to use some repellent options if you’d like to as well. If you have a significant infestation of snakes in your yard, you might wish to call a pest control service for assistance.
They’ll be able to help you take care of snake problems swiftly. It’s good to call a pest control company if you don’t actually know what type of snake you’re dealing with.
Hopefully, you’ll be able to get this snake issue taken care of so that you can feel comfortable using your yard again. Even if corn snakes aren’t dangerous, this doesn’t mean that you’re going to feel comfortable around them.
Corn Snakes Can Be Beneficial
Before you decide to get rid of the corn snakes in your area, it’s good to consider the benefits of keeping them around. Corn snakes actually feed on various rodents.
If you would like to keep mice from entering your house, having corn snakes around won’t be so bad. These snakes will kill mice and various other small rodents.
Getting rid of the corn snakes could cause the rodent population to boom. You’ll have to weigh whether or not this is a good trade-off.
Final Thoughts
Reading up about corn snakes should help you to feel quite a bit better. Many people get scared when they see them, but you now know that they look scarier than they really are.
Corn snakes aren’t venomous, and this means that they can’t hurt humans. If you get bitten by one, it might slightly hurt, but it won’t be a big deal at all.
It’s even true that corn snakes won’t attack humans unless they have a reason to do so. Sometimes they’ll strike at humans if they get too close because they’re worried that you’re a threat.
Otherwise, it’s more likely that a corn snake will slither away from you. Some people have even taken to keeping them as pets because they are a very low-risk type of snake to handle.
Let your friends know that corn snakes are mostly harmless. If you see any in your yard, you can safely ignore them moving forward.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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