How Fast Can Corn Snakes Move

How Fast Can Corn Snakes Move?

Corn snakes like to move fast if they are in danger; otherwise, they like to move at a normal speed. In this article, we have explained the different modes of movements in snakes.

How Fast Can Corn Snakes Move? Corn snakes can move very fast. An adult snake can move at 12 to 14 km/hr, and baby snakes can move at the speed of 8 to 10 km/hr. Snakes try to move fast when they are in danger or when they are hunting for food.

When a corn snake moves fast, it shows some physical signs like bright and shiny eyes. It actively flicks tongue. The muscle and body look like a loaf of bread while moving. The skin and scales are bright and shiny.

How Fast Can Corn Snakes Move?

All snakes can move from one place to another place. Each species on the earth has a different mechanism of movement. 

We all are curious about how this limbless creature moves without legs. In this article, we will ascertain the mechanism of movement and speed of our pet snake.

These snakes have a high speed of movement. They are adapted to walk in different habitats and territories. The speed usually depends upon the path and the situation in which they are moving.

They can crawl slowly and can speed up the movement in bursts using their muscles. On average, the speed of them is about 8 kilometers per hour.

This can increase up to 12 to 14 kilometers per hour when they feel any danger. The incline position or slope decreases the speed. Likewise, the uneven and rocky areas make it difficult to maintain a high speed. They also have different pace in different modes of locomotion.

Speed of movement in the baby snake

The baby snake moves less than the adult one. It remains in a hibernate state and is less active. They mostly remain in the protection of the mother snake. They go fast occasionally when they need to get some food to survive.

When moving, they can go up to 6 to 9 kilometers per hour. The moving speed increases as they start to age. When they become mature, they are active enough to have maximum speed. They can gain top speed at the age of 1 to 2.

How does a corn snake move?

It is a common question that comes in our mind when we see snakes of any type. These animals use their muscles and scales to move from one place to another for this purpose.

They do not have limbs or legs for movement like other animals. The muscles present on the belly are powerful to help in different activities.

The strong muscles can easily lift the scales which they use to grip any surface. They rely on the friction between their scales and surface to move forward their body.

Apart from friction, weather and temperature also play a key role in its movement. They are faster during the daytime because of their high metabolism.

During the night, the metabolism gets slow, and they become inactive; this results in slow or no movement at all. Likewise, when winter comes, they become sluggish, and metabolism gets too slow. You can give quail eggs to your pet snake for better results.

This way, they save heat and energy in their body for survival. They can hide in some corner or holes in extreme conditions.

In summer, they can move very fast due to high metabolism and appropriate temperature. They can absorb energy from sunlight to keep them active for an extended period. You can add coconut fiber as a substrate for them.

Snakes usually go along a straight line, but they can also crawl and have different walking modes. 

They use serpentine mode when they are walking on any rocky or uneven surface. It is also called lateral undulation.

This method suits well when there are a lot of obstacles along the way. It is a wavy motion, and the snake propagates in S-shaped loops on its way. The force it applies to all the objects is inversely proportional to the number of items. But the force is constant in case of speed and body weight.

It provides the necessary force with the help of large dorsal muscles. These muscles get activated along all the bends in the body along the path.

The curvature of this is according to the contact point with the obstacles. This indicates the involvement of some sensory-motor neurons to sense the size and shape of the hurdle. This helps in determining the force needed to push it.

Concertina is another mode of movement in corn snake. In this type, it just moves its front portion in forth and backs motion.

The other part braces itself to the surface. It is a spiral-like movement. When it pulls the front part directly, this part extends, pulling the lower part with it. This mechanism is used in tight or narrow places.

In rectilinear motion, the snake goes forward in a straight line. It uses scales to the body to have a grip on the surface. After griping, it forces it to go forward. In such a mode, it is unable to move fast. It also uses sidewinding on smooth, slippery surfaces.

In this mode, the snake body moves in a segment. Both dorsal and bilateral muscles are active in this mode. The bilateral muscles help in lifting the trunk side of the body.

The bends in the body come in segments and lift the part from the surface. This segment goes forward and bends progress to the other body segments. This mode also makes the speed slow as compared to other methods.

These snakes are super active animals. They enjoy roaming and crawling outside of their tank. But you should not leave it unsupervised in open areas. On average, they need 10 to 15 minutes per day to spend out of their cage.

Benefits

This fast movement from one place to another can serve it many purposes. These snakes sometimes prey on other small animals.

The speed in crawling and sliding can help them to approach their prey faster. They can quickly run and grab it in no time.

The fast locomotion can also help them to migrate to other habitats and territories. When the condition of one habitat becomes severe, they can go to other regions.

This way, they can escape different dangers in the surrounding. When it senses any predator nearby, it can run immediately from the site. This way, it can save itself; it is also required to bite its enemy.