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August 15, 2006—The American corn snake, likely named for its patterned scales that resemble corncobs, is just one of the serpent stars—some venomous, some nonthreatening, and some simply not real—of the upcoming Samuel L. Jackson movie Snakes on a Plane.

Nonpoisonous corn snakes can actually come in thirty-odd different colors, ranging from pure white to screaming red. This, in addition to their gentle nature and good climbing ability, makes corn snakes perfect candidates for movie sets, according to veteran snake wrangler Jules Sylvester.

National Geographic News recently spoke with Sylvester about the various species of snake that appear in the thriller, including which species were actually used during filming. Go behind the scenes to meet more of the film's slithering celebrities in this photo gallery.

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