The Corn Snake or Red Rat Snake (Elaphe guttata) is a species of Rat Snake. The Latin word elaphe means deerskin.http://www.anapsid.org/corn.html Anapsid.org: Caring for Corn Snakes Popular in the pet trade, they are known for being smaller and more docile than other snake species. They are non-venomous, another reason why they are often kept as pets or breeders.