For $1,500, you could buy a used car, a new laptop — or a "palmetto morph" corn snake.

Among reptile enthusiasts, the corn snake ( Pantherophis guttatus ) is often touted as the perfect beginner's serpent, an ideal pet for first-time snake-keepers. They're easy to take care of, and the reptiles come in a rainbow of colors and patterns.

Breeding "corns" can be lucrative because some rare variants — like the palmetto morph , a whitish snake adorned with tiny red spots — command hefty price tags. (Fortunately, more affordable options are available for snake hobbyists on a budget.)

Corn snakes might be even more valuable to American agribusiness. Out in the wild, they're masterful rodent-hunters. By keeping rats and mice in check, the snakes help make our farmlands safe for seedli

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