Description: Slowinski's corn snake is medium-sized and colored grayish-brown, with a series of large, alternating, chocolate-brown blotches. These blotches are often bordered in black. It has a spearhead marking on the head. The belly is checkered black and white, giving it an appearance of maize (its close relative, the corn snake, is believed to have gotten its name for this belly pattern).

While this subspecies resembles superficially the prairie kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster), the spearhead marking present on the head of Slowinski's corn snake is usually sufficient for identification. Its body has a rounded top, steep sides, and a flat belly.

The young of this subspecies can be distinguished from those of the western rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus) by considering the dark bar that runs through each eye. In Slowinski's corn snake, this bar extends through the jawline and onto the neck, whereas in the western rat snake the bar extends only to the jawline where it stops abruptly.

Habitat: Little information is currently available regarding the habitats of this species in Arkansas. As with its sister-species, the Great Plains Ratsnake, it is an excellent climber and likely spends a large portion of its time up in trees.

Range: This species is endemic to the south of the United States. Its range includes eastern Texas and western Louisiana. Taxonomic affiliation of cornsnakes in adjacent southern Arkansas is uncertain, but presumably the species there is slowinskii.

Found in these States: AR | LA | OK | TX

Diet: This species feeds primarily on small mammals and birds. Little information is available about the foraging behavior for this species. It is likely to use a combination of sit-and-wait and active foraging, depending upon the type of prey it is hunting. Much of this behavior likely occurs "above our heads" in the trees, or at night, or both! Prey, when caught, is constricted and consumed.

Reproduction: Similar to the Great Plains Rat Snake: breed once yearly, in May or early June. After 5 to 7 weeks of gestation, female Great Plains rat snakes lay 12 to 24 eggs in June or July. These eggs incubate for 55 to 60 days; this time may vary depending on the temperature and other environmental conditions. If the summers are cooler and ground temperatures drop below 26.67°C, it can lead to longer incubation times. Larger females lay larger eggs and have larger clutch sizes. Hatchlings range from 25.4 to 30.48 cm in length and have birth masses from 9.4 to 13.2g. The number of offspring produced successfully is 3 to 12. Hatchlings are immediately independent and will stay near their hatching site for up to two years.

Status: Its range and habitat appear to be similar to those of Pituophis ruthveni, a species that has declined significantly as a result of habitat loss and degradation. However, very little information on the current status of P. e. slowinskii is available.

Taxonomy: Taxonomic Swap (Committed on 07-22-2022) - Pantherophis slowinskii replaced with Pantherophis emoryi slowinskii.