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Kastanie 2014

Kastanie (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Kastanie (German for Chestnut, it’s pronounced Kuh-stawn-yuh)
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Morph Type: Single Recessive Mutation
Eye Color:  Black pupil & body ground-colored iris

 

First discovered by a German Corn Snake breeder, Frank Schaub, the Kastanie is a color mutation that is recessive to wild-type.  We have been breeding them for many years, but they were called Rosy Bloodreds.  The Rosy reason for that name turned out to be the Kastanie mutation causing the color namesake of the Rosy Bloodreds.  Ours originated from a collector who found a pair of Rosy Rats in the upper keys of Florida.  He bred them together and got nothing but more Rosy Rats (Key Corns), but when he bred two of those together, 1/4 of the brood was what we now call Kastanies.  

The U.S. line of Kastanies are generally less-brightly colored, but have beautiful deep and rich dark reds and the head and neck of the German Kastanies are much redder than the U.S. line.  The U.S. line has more overall orange body coloration.  Both are stunning.  

Like most corn snkaes, Kastanie hatchlings begin very differently than they will look at maturity.  This picture shows two U.S. Kastanie hatchlings and one German-Line Kastanie hatchling (head on far-right). 
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Important Note: 
  These images are not renderings of the actual animals being offered, (except for uniquely offered snakes found in the SURPLUS section of this web site).  We do not provide pictures of individual hatchling snakes for sale, nor do we recommend that you ever choose a new pet based on an image of its neonatal form.  Corns change so dramatically from hatchling to adult, they will NEVER have the same colors or contrasts throughout maturity. While most of the snakes we produce will mature to resemble the featured adult image(s) on our web site, unlike manufactured products that are respectively clones of each other, the nature of polygenic variation results in each animal being similar but not identical to others of its morph. The snake we select for you may not mature to be identical to the pictured examples, but will be chosen based on our experience of observing which neonates will mature to properly represent their respective morph.  We take this responsibility very seriously, and therefore publish the guarantee that we will exchange your SMR snake if it does not mature to be like our advertised examples.

 

Ultra/Ultramel 2014

INTERSPECIES  HYBRID

Ultramel (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Ultramel
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Codominant with Amel, but recessive to Wild-type
Morph Type: Hybrid Codominant
Eye Color:  Dark Red pupil & body ground colored iris

 

Note:  Ultramel is the visual heterozygote of the the mutation, Ultra.

INTERSPECIES  HYBRID
The founder (discoverer) of the Ultra mutation states that he originally paired a gray rat snake with a corn snake, in the discovery of this mutation.  By the time most of us were made aware of the HYBRID origins of Ultra types (originally named Ultra Hypos), we had already bred it into many other corn snake mutations.  It was therefore collectively decided that in so much as it would be virtually impossible to track down (and eliminate) each and every snake possessing a form of the Ultra gene (surely thousands of individuals in the collections of hundreds of breeders and keepers), the mutation would be treated like other pure corns.  In so much as it generally did not alter the corn snake pattern, some breeders could be unaware they had it, while some could avoid mentioning it, if they did know.  Those of you out there who are boycotting HYBRID corns are advised to avoid acquisition of suspicious-looking corns with the word ULTRA in the morph description. Likewise, purists who admirably endeavor to promote only the genetically purest of corns are urged to question corns that have suspiciously abnormal features that are historically regarded as hybrid markers.  Not that all such markers are proof of alien origins. Especially because of the difficulty and expense of formulating a DNA base line for all North American colubrid snake species, and in the absence of expensive DNA testing to identify the authenticity of pure corns, without obvious visual and/or genetic distinctions, identification of legitimately pure (or impure) corns is difficult at this time, if not completely impossible.

Ultramel corns are what we call the Visual Het version of the Ultra Mutation.  Virtually all heterozygotesof mutations that are recessive to Wild-type are indiscernable, when compared to their non-Het siblings.  At SMR, we seldom offer the homozygous version of the Ultra mutation because there is a subtle and often indistinguishable difference between the Homo (Ultra) and Het (Ultramel) versions. Genetically speaking, Ultras are the powerhouse genetic version of this mutation in so much as when you breed one to any Amel corn snake, 100% of the progeny will be Ultramels.  Breeding Ultramels to Amels results in approximately 50% Ultramels and approximately 50% Amels.  Generally, Ultramels are more colorful than Ultras, but there are exceptions in both directions.  Breeding an Ultra type to any non-Amel corn will result in NO Ultra types, since Ultra is recessive to Wild-type.

Other than appearance, the primary (and inherent) value of Ultra Type Corns (Ultras and Ultramels and their color and pattern compounds) is their mode of genetic inheritance.  Since they are co-dominant to Amelanistics, pairing any Ultra type to ANY Amel corn (or Het thereof) will render some Ultra types in the F1 (first generation) of out-crossing to non-Ultra type corns.  The results of pairing an Ultra-type with a non-Amel corn (or Het thereof) will render Mendelian results that parallel recessively-inherited mutations; no Ultra-types will result, and all progeny will be Het for Ultra when bred to non-Amels.

This is one of the few corn snake morphs that you should not purchase based on a pictorial example.  This is because of the extreme diversity of appearance within the mutation/morph.  I could easily make this statement about most corn snake mutants, but the reason I do so here is because the real value of this mutation is its’ mode of inheritance.  Few corn snake mutations are inherited in dominant fashion, so the primary reason most snake lovers purchase Ultras or Ultramels is because when they breed one to any snake with a form of classic amelanism, approximately 50%of the F1 broods will be Ultra-type mutants (or approximately 25% – in the case of breeding the an Ultramel to a corn that is het for Amel and 100% if you breed an Ultra to an Amel type). I think you will be amply satisfied with any phenotype you receive from an Ultra type, but should you choose to buy one based on the sample picture on any web site, you may be disappointed if yours does not mature to be exactly like the one that inticed you to purchase.

Both Ultras and Ultramels render some of the most extreme examples of hypomelanism in corns, but a hypo-type phenotype is the genetic and visual function we recognize.  Some people call them Ultra or Ultramel Hypos, but I prefer to leave off the “hypo” since the chromosomal location of this mutation is the same as Amel (Ultra and Amel reside on the same locus of the chromosome) and therefore has nothing genetically to do with the Hypo gene locus.  Also, the hobby vernacular for the double mutant that is homozygous for both Hypo A and Ultramel would be Ultramel Hypo.  Upon hearing/reading these two words together, you would surely presume that the snake Ultramel Hypo is a double mutant.  Hence, those two words together are incorrect and confusing — when describing the single mutant genotypes, Ultramel or Ultra.  When you breed an Ultra type to any corn that is not Amel (or Het Amel), this mutation genetically behaves like a recessive.  Example:  Pairing an Ultra with an Amel results in 100% Ultramel progeny.  Pairing an Ultramel with an Amel results in progeny consisting of approximately 50% Amels and approximately 50% Ultramels.  Pairing an Ultra with a wild-type (non-Amel) corn results in 100% normals (wild type) that are all het for Ultra.


What to expect:
Hatchlings often look like extreme Hypo mutants, but some are nearly as brightly colored as Amel corns (lacking so much overall black). Of course, the main distinction between the two is the pink/red eye pupil in Amels and the wine-colored pupil in Ultramels.  There is great variation in the degree of red in both eye pupil and pattern coloration.
 

SURPLUS section of this web site).  We do not provide pictures of individual hatchling snakes for sale, nor do we recommend that you ever choose a new pet based on an image of its neonatal form.  Corns change so dramatically from hatchling to adult, they will NEVER have the same colors or contrasts throughout maturity.While most of the snakes we produce will mature to resemble the featured adult image(s) on our web site, unlike manufactured products that are respectively clones of each other, the nature of polygenic variation results in each animal being similar but not identical to others of its morph. The snake we select for you may not mature to be identical to the pictured examples, but will be chosen based on our experience of observing which neonates will mature to properly represent their respective morph.  We take this responsibility very seriously, and therefore publish the guarantee that we will exchange your SMR snake if it does not mature to be like our advertised examples.

 

 

Scaleless HET 2014

HET Scaleless (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Het Scaleless
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Morph Type: Double Mutant Het (Scaleless and Anery)
Eye Color: Black pupil (some red-eyed ones are also available for higher prices)
 
 

The corn snakes being offered here are not Homozygotes, but Heterozygotes.  The reason a picture is not featured here is because no two are alike.  The inherent value of these snakes is the fact that they have one gene copy (therefore are HETEROZYGOUS) for the gene mutation, Scaleless.  Hence, they look like common corns, but are hiding their genetic heritage that makes them capable of reproducing Scaleless Mutants. 
 
IMPORTANT NOTE: We DO offer corns that are Het for Scaleless AND other desirable color and/or pattern mutations.  The prices noted here are for corns that do not demonstrate any color or pattern mutation and are–in most cases–not necessarily het for any mutation other than Scaleless.  We DO sell colors of corns that are het for Scaleless for more $ than the advertised prices here (inquire).  Also, some are color mutants with two or more mutations they possess in heterozygous (het) form–meaning they don’t demonstrate other mutations but possess one of the paired DNA mutation copies that allow them to reproduce those mutations when paired with heterozygous or homozygous snakes possessing the same gene mutation type(s).  In other words, we sell heterozygote corns possessing one or more color/pattern mutations for higher prices than the ones advertised here.  Please, inquire. 
 

Hybrid History Of Scaleless Corns:

In 2012, we were fortunate to acquire several different color and pattern morphs of Scaleless Corns from Stephane Rosselle in France.  He has many dozens of different color and pattern variants of this unique mutation.Just as seed-less grapes are not really devoid of seeds (they are simply small seeds), scale-less corns have SOME scales.  The entire bellies of most are classically or partially scaled, and random fragments of scale patterns are seen in varying degrees elsewhere on their bodies, from one individual to another.  I hear comments like, “eeeeyewww, the face looks freaky” or “why are the eyes so disproportionately large?”.  The eyes are not disproportionately large per body size, but in the absence of scales around them, a super-protruding appearance results. Of course, no two biological forms are precisely identical, but add to that the color and pattern variability and the infrequent scale placements and Scaleless Corns take “no two alike” to a whole new level.  Exactly where there are a few scales on their body renders a veritable unique fingerprint for each individual snake.  Regardless of how many and where scales are sparsely located, the predominant lack of scales results in a more deeply-saturated color exhibition.  Who knew that the armor (scales) of serpents actually rendered a dilution of their here-to-fore unseen color brilliance?  Few corn snake mutations are capable of altering mutation and morph compounds as dramatically as the Scaleless mutation.  Have fun mixing and matching myriad color and pattern potentials with this new and variable mutation. 
 
The originator of the Scaleless mutants in France (Richard Dijoux) https://www.colubiasnakes.fr indicates on his web site that they originate from pairing an Emory’s (Great Plains) Rat Snake with a Corn Snake.  Hence, ALL Scaleless corns in the hobby toDAY are technically inter-species hybrid mutants (though 1st cousin species).  

 

Inter-species Hybrids:  The first Scaleless snake closely related to a corn–AND the patriarch of all Scaleless “corns” toDAY–was the result of pairing a WHEAT (what some Europeans call the Emory’s/Great Plains Rat Snake) to a CORN Snake.  The owner of those snakes reported that only one Scaleless snake hatched from that marriage; THE patriarch of all Scaleless corns toDAY. Therefore, beginning with the F1 generation–and all subsequent generations since–at the time of this writing, all Scaleless corns toDAY have Emory’s Rat Snake genes in them (one DAY the scale-less mutation will be demonstrated in pure corns, as with ALL reptile species on this planet).  Of course, either via polygenetics , gene mutations  or both, just like all dogs toDAY are selective variants of wolves (therefore, all dogs technically ARE wolves), after a few generations of breeding these Scaleless “hybrids” solely to corn snakes, less and progressively less of their ancestral phenotype will be visually evident. A parallel is that the Dachshund genetically IS a modern wolf variant, but when you look at such a modern dog, do you see ANY resemblance to a wolf?  Polygenetics and mutations have distinguished Dachshunds from other dog breeds and their wolf ancestors. Other inter-species hybrids in our hobby toDAY include (but are surely not be limited to) Creamsicles and Ultra/Ultramels. 

If you seek a visual (aka: homozygote) Scaleless, this is not the morph you want.  This listed product (Het for Scaleless corns) will look like a typical wild corn snake, but are carrying one copy of the gene mutation that will render Scaleless mutants if bred to another corn snake with one or both DNA copies of the Gene Mutation.  Again, this picture demonstrates the potential for what you can possibly produce if you buy one of the $1,100.00 to $1,300.00 hatchlings offered here.  The snake you will be ordering will look similar to a wild-caught common corn snake.  Corns het for Scaleless and other color and pattern mutations will be offered elsewhere on our web site.  They will be priced according to the market value of the mutations they carry.

Motley Amel 2014

Amel Motley (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Amel Motley
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Morph Type: Compound (Amel & Motley)

Eye Color: Red pupil

 

This compound morph results from combining the color mutation Amel with the pattern mutation Motley. Colors can range from dull orange to red-orange, and the motley pattern may vary from only a few dorsal ground zone circles to many dorsal ground zone circles more than half-way down the back.  Adults are generally more colorful than hatchlings, but relative to the transformation of most corns from hatchling to adult, Amel Motleys change very little throughout maturity.  Amel Motleys should not be confused with Sunglow Motleys – regarding their noticeable lack of white.  One of the genetic functions of Motley is to reduce or eliminate color zones of white in albinos (black in non-albinos) leaving some to deduce that since Amel Motleys usually lack white, they must be Sunglow Motleys.  The primary distinction between the two is the obviously heavier color saturation in Sunglow Motleys vs. the slightly cluttered appearance of Amel Motleys (color zones that have a mixture of many different shades of their base color – and sometimes white stippling).

 

 

What to expect:
Amel Motleys are one of the rare exceptions among corns in so much as their appearance from neonate to adult changes very little. Expect mostly red snakes with ground coloration that is lighter than that of the markings – with notable reduction or lack of white around the markings. Some have only a few of the classic Motley dorsal circles (often resembling a chain configuration) while some sport a long and contiguous “chain” pattern nearly all the way to the tail. Never expect to see such dorsal circles ON the tail itself. BTW, the pattern mutation, Motley virtually always alters color and markings – if only slightly. Patterns are often less distinct and colors are sometimes slighted softened in Motley mutants – compared to non-Motleys. Some people call all Amel Motleys Sunglow Motleys because of the absence of white (single recessive morphs are mostly or completely devoid of white, so most people think the Amel Motleys without white must be Sunglow Motleys), but one of the genetic jobs of Motley is to greatly reduce or eliminate all black in non-albinos and therefore, all white in albinos.

 

 

SURPLUS section of this web site).  We do not provide pictures of individual hatchling snakes for sale, nor do we recommend that you ever choose a new pet based on an image of its neonatal form.  Corns change so dramatically from hatchling to adult, they will NEVER have the same colors or contrasts throughout maturity.While most of the snakes we produce will mature to resemble the featured adult image(s) on our web site, unlike manufactured products that are respectively clones of each other, the nature of polygenic variation results in each animal being similar but not identical to others of its morph. The snake we select for you may not mature to be identical to the pictured examples, but will be chosen based on our experience of observing which neonates will mature to properly represent their respective morph.  We take this responsibility very seriously, and therefore publish the guarantee that we will exchange your SMR snake if it does not mature to be like our advertised examples.

 

 

 

Diffused Caramel 2014

Diffused Caramel (aka: Caramel Bloodred, Diffuse Caramel)
Most Commonly Used Name: Caramel Bloodred
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Morph Type: Mutation Compound (Caramel + Diffused)
Eye Color:  Black pupil & body ground colored iris
 

Go to History for more details about the DIFFUSED / BLOODRED base mutation of this compound morph.

 

This compound morph results from combining the color mutation, Caramel with the pattern mutation Diffused.  As with most morph compounds that include Diffuse, the Caramel mutation’s color effect is greatly diffused.  Another mechanism of the Diffused mutation is to reduce black, but since there is little to no black in most Caramel mutants, the lateral markings of this compound mutation are not diffused – as one would expect to see.  With concentrated efforts to correct this perceived anomaly, in a couple of generations, this morph should improve in appearance.

 

 

What to expect:
Expect the hatchlings to look virtually identical in general appearance to typical Caramel hatchlings, except for the head and belly markings.  The head should have some form of Diffuse head pattern, and the belly should be completely devoid of classic corn snake checkering.  The belly pattern can have colors – and even pattern – but black should be absent.

 

SURPLUS section of this web site).  We do not provide pictures of individual hatchling snakes for sale, nor do we recommend that you ever choose a new pet based on an image of its neonatal form.  Corns change so dramatically from hatchling to adult, they will NEVER have the same colors or contrasts throughout maturity.While most of the snakes we produce will mature to resemble the featured adult image(s) on our web site, unlike manufactured products that are respectively clones of each other, the nature of polygenic variation results in each animal being similar but not identical to others of its morph. The snake we select for you may not mature to be identical to the pictured examples, but will be chosen based on our experience of observing which neonates will mature to properly represent their respective morph.  We take this responsibility very seriously, and therefore publish the guarantee that we will exchange your SMR snake if it does not mature to be like our advertised examples.

 

Striped Tessera-13

Striped Tessera (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Striped Tessera
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Dominant
Morph Type: Both Dominant & Recessive Gene Mutations
Eye Color:  Black pupil with ground zone-colored iris
 

FIRST, what makes Tesseras so expensive? Other than appearance, the primary (and inherent) value of Tessera-type Corns is their mode of inheritance.  Since they are dominant to wild type, pairing any Tessera Type that is a Visual Het to ANY corn (other than a Tessera-type) will render 50% Tessera mutants in the F1 (first) out-crossed generation.  The results of pairing an Tessera homozygote with ANY corn snake (other than a Tessera-type) will render 100% Tessera mutants.

 
Striped Tesseras are at least homozygotes of the recessively-inherited STRIPE mutation and the dominantly-inherited TESSERA mutation. At this time, there appears to be no direct mutational relationship between those two mutations (when in genetic union), except for the seemingly collateral features that distinguish virtually all Striped Tesseras from simple Striped mutants. The features that are demonstrated in most Striped Tesseras that distinguish them from simple Striped corn mutants are:
 

  • Contiguity of pattern. Striped Tesseras have remarkably continuous striping and if it does break – unlike simple mutant Striped corns – it resumes in the same form – without fading to broken striping and eventually no striped pattern at all, as we see in ALL simple mutant Striped corns.
  • Stripe that extends to the tail and beyond.  I have never seen a simple mutant Striped corn that had a stripe that continued to the tail tip.  I’ve seen nearly full striping in some lines of Striped Motleys, but never in Striped mutants.  When one corn possesses both the STRIPE and the TESSERA mutations, most of these corns have striping that continues to the tip of the tail, regardless of how many stripe breaks there are between the neck and tail tip.  When the striped pattern of Striped corn mutants begins to break up and/or fade, it does not resume in recognizable form.  My reference to “tail pattern” is the dorsal location that is the polar opposite of the cloaca (polar as opposing points on the same vertical plane).
  • Variable stripe width. It is not common, but some of the Striped Tesseras we’ve produced have varying stripe width, which is something seldom observed on simple Striped mutants.  Generally speaking, the striping of Striped Tesseras widens as it extends tail-ward.  Some have intermittent and abrupt changes of width from the neck to the tail, but except for gradual widening of stripe, some have remarkably clean stripes.  The question that can’t help but be asked is, “In STRIPED TESSERAS, is the striped pattern the result of the Striped mutation, the striped version of the Motley mutation; Striped Motley. OR the striped version of the Tessera mutation?”  I don’t know the answer at this time. 

Note the comparison of a Striped Amel (Het Caramel) and a Striped Tessera in this image.

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What to expect:
Striped Tesseras are still fairly rare. So far, the only feature that is atypical – compared to typical corn snake mutations – is that many of the non-mutant siblings of Tessera types seem to have enhanced pattern and color features.  So far, I don’t recognize any traditional markers that are unique to hybrid colubrids, since the collateral sibling features to which I refer are – so far – in the realm of improving existing corn snake features (i.e. some non-Tesseras have better, brighter, cleaner, and/or more consistent colors and markings).  I’m intrigued by the collateral nature of some of the non-Tessera siblings co-incidentally having improved characteristics without changing standard features of the species (i.e. body shape, belly checkering, head pattern, shape and number of markings).
 
As hatchlings, Striped Tesseras generally look like Striped corns, except for the precision of striping and retention of black pigment seen in most Striped Tesseras. Other than the obviously better quality of striping in Striped Tesseras, the primary difference between the closest corn snake phenotype (Striped Motley) and Striped Tesseras  is that of the dominant genetic inheritance of the Tessera.  Naturally, the Stripe and Motley mutations (which are alleles of the Motley locus) are inherited in recessive fashion. Just like all corns, Striped Tesseras gain improved color saturation as they mature. 
 
 
History of the Tessera Mutation:
In 2007, Graham Criglow asked KJ Lodrigue to order a 1.2 trio of Striped Motleys that were advertised on one of the popular Online Classified sites – since Graham’s job prevented him from personally receiving them at that time.  When they arrived, KJ discovered that they constituted a 2.1 reverse trio (two males and one female) instead of the advertised 1.2 trio (one male and two females).  KJ and Kasi recommended that Graham gift the extra male to me, and that’s what Graham did.  Profound thanks to Graham, KJ, and Kasi for that gracious and fortuitous gift.  In 2008, both the Lodrigues and I independently bred our males (Graham’s and mine) to novel (unrelated) corns. I produced about 24 TESSERAS (so named by the Lodrigues for the tessellated lateral markings) from over 50 fertile eggs, but since the Lodrigues were in the middle of a career move to another State, they were less fortunate, producing just four non-mutant Okeetee-looking corns.  My Tesseras were produced by the pairing of the male Tessera to three novel female corns (two F1 Locality Okeetees from Chip Bridges Rhett Butler Line and one Okeetee-ish female, Het for Stripe and Amel).  Imagine my surprise in seeing what we thought were nearly flawless Striped Motleys from three different females, only one of which was Het for a recessive pattern mutation?  After the first brood of 50% Tesseras hatched from the female that was het for Stripe and Amel, except for the perfection of pattern, I was not thinking new dominant mutation, but when both wild-type Okeetees produced the same results, it was obvious that a new mutation was discovered.

Upon receiving the reverse trio from the seller, we all commented on the mutual peculiarity of the phenotypes.  Most appeared to be the most perfectly Striped Motleys ever seen – in so much as their dorsal stripes were nearly contiguous from neck to tail tip (something never before seen in any corn snake pattern mutant) – but that was hardly possible if the admission of the breeder were true – that they were products of pairing a Striped corn with an Okeetee corn.  How could these descendants of a Striped corn bred to an Okeetee be Motley types, instead of Striped?  It is still unclear if those 2.1 Tesseras were F1s (first familial generation) or F2s (the originator of this line is now out of the hobby and difficult to reach – for clarification).  If these three Tesseras are F1s, my deduction is that the striped corn he used in the original pairing was actually Striped AND Tessera.  Even if those three were F2s, the likelihood of the mutant patriarch being a Striped Tessera is strong.

In the 100+ Tessera mutants produced by me as of Fall, 2010, I’m seeing the following features:
The most obvious advantage of having Tesseras in your breeding inventory (aside from their inherent beauty) is that because the mutation is dominantly inherited, 50% of every brood of corns from them will be Tessera mutants. With most other corn snake mutations, one must raise all the Het F1 progeny, and won’t receive any mutants until F2 reproduction (a task that can take four to six years).  In the course of adding Tessera to the myriad current patterns and colors of corns, an entirely new market is now in the making.

Predominantly contiguous dorsal striping is the most unique feature of most Tesseras.  Even when the stripe is broken, it resumes immediately thereafter (unlike Striped and Motley mutants whose dorsal striping never resumes with any degree of renewal). Roughly 1/3 of all that have been produced so far have no stripe breaks.  Another 1/3 or so have two to four stripe breaks, and the other 1/3 can have five to 20+ stripe breaks, but those breaks are merely interruptions of the stripe.  Not unlike very good Striped Motleys, many Tesseras have an interruption of stripe at the girdle (anatomical location – polar to the cloaca), but unlike Striped and Motley mutants, the dorsal stripe almost always continues to the tail tip.  Thus far, fully striped Tesseras have been produced from parents with some-to-many dorsal stripe breaks.  Hence, broken-striped Tesseras can produce fully striped striped Tesseras, even though their stripe is broken.  Incidentally, none of the original 2.1 original Tesseras in this line have complete dorsal striping, but many of their progeny and grand progeny do. 

More than 2/3 of the Tesseras produced by me so far have atypically large amounts of black pigment in their non-ventral pattern — a feature roughly 1% of all Striped and Motley mutants have demonstrated to date.  Less than 1/4 of all Tesseras produced by me have little to no black in their markings, and these are mostly Striped Tesseras.

The belly patterns of most Tesseras that are not also homozygous for other pattern mutations (i.e. Stripe) are all over the charts, but so far, all the bellies on Striped Tesseras have had no pattern at all.  Apparently, the STRIPE mutation trumps what normally occurs on the bellies of Tessera mutants, thereby not allowing belly pattern.

Having grafted another entire branch on the already sprawling corn snake family tree, we think the Tessera mutation will offer genetic flexibility never before possible; mainly in the realm of making Stripe and Motley types without losing the black (white in albinos).  Imagine all the current colors of corns infused with the Tessera, Striped Tessera, and Motley Tessera patterns?

Important Note: 
  These images are not renderings of the actual animals being offered, (except for uniquely offered snakes found in the SURPLUS section of this web site).  We do not provide pictures of individual hatchling snakes for sale, nor do we recommend that you ever choose a new pet based on an image of its neonatal form.  Corns change so dramatically from hatchling to adult, they will NEVER have the same colors or contrasts throughout maturity. While most of the snakes we produce will mature to resemble the featured adult image(s) on our web site, unlike manufactured products that are respectively clones of each other, the nature of polygenic variation results in each animal being similar but not identical to others of its morph. The snake we select for you may not mature to be identical to the pictured examples, but will be chosen based on our experience of observing which neonates will mature to properly represent their respective morph.  We take this responsibility very seriously, and therefore publish the guarantee that we will exchange your SMR snake if it does not mature to be like our advertised examples.

 

Caramel Tessera 2014

Caramel Tessera (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Caramel Tessera
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Dominant
Morph Type: Single Dominant Mutation (Tessera) & simple recessive (Caramel)
Eye Color:  Black pupil & body ground colored iris
 
 

FIRST, what makes Tesseras so expensive? Other than appearance, the primary (and inherent) value of Tessera-type Corns is their mode of genetic inheritance.  Since they are dominant to wild type, pairing any Tessera Type that is a Visual Het to ANY corn snake (other than a Tessera-type) will render 50% Tessera mutants in the F1 (first) out-crossed generation.  The results of pairing an Tessera homozygote with ANY corn snake (other than a Tessera-type) will render 100% Tessera mutants.

Adding the Caramel mutation to TESSERA, obviously results in an Caramel Tessera.  Because all Caramel Tesseras are so close to original morph colors, expect to see more gold and brown tones.  
 
History of the Tessera Mutation:
In 2007, Graham Criglow asked KJ Lodrigue to order a 1.2 trio of Striped Motleys that were advertised on one of the popular Online Classified sites – since Graham’s job prevented him from personally receiving them at that time.  When they arrived, KJ discovered that they constituted a 2.1 reverse trio (two males and one female) instead of the advertised 1.2 trio (one male and two females).  KJ and Kasi recommended that Graham gift the extra male to me, and that’s what Graham did.  Profound thanks to Graham, KJ, and Kasi for that gracious and fortuitous gift.  In 2008, both the Lodrigues and I independently bred our males (Graham’s and mine) to novel (unrelated) corns. I produced about 24 TESSERAS (so named by the Lodrigues for the tessellated lateral markings) from over 50 fertile eggs, but since the Lodrigues were in the middle of a career move to another State, they were less fortunate, producing just four non-mutant Okeetee-looking corns.  My Tesseras were produced by the pairing of the male Tessera to three novel female corns (two F1 Locality Okeetees from Chip Bridges Rhett Butler Line and one Okeetee-ish female, Het for Stripe and Amel).  Imagine my surprise in seeing what we thought were nearly flawless Striped Motleys from three different females, only one of which was Het for a recessive pattern mutation?  After the first brood of 50% Tesseras hatched from the female that was het for Stripe and Amel, except for the perfection of pattern, I was not thinking new dominant mutation, but when both wild-type Okeetees produced the same results, it was obvious that a new mutation was discovered.

Upon receiving the reverse trio from the seller, we all commented on the mutual peculiarity of the phenotypes.  Most appeared to be the most perfectly Striped Motleys ever seen – in so much as their dorsal stripes were nearly contiguous from neck to tail tip (something never before seen in any corn snake pattern mutant) – but that was hardly possible if the admission of the breeder were true – that they were products of pairing a Striped corn with an Okeetee corn.  How could these descendants of a Striped corn bred to an Okeetee be Motley types, instead of Striped?  It is still unclear if those 2.1 Tesseras were F1s (first familial generation) or F2s (the originator of this line is now out of the hobby and difficult to reach – for clarification).  If these three Tesseras are F1s, my deduction is that the striped corn he used in the original pairing was actually Striped AND Tessera.  Even if those three were F2s, the likelihood of the mutant patriarch being a Striped Tessera is strong.

 

What to expect:
At this early period in the Tessera’s resume, we still don’t know what phenotypic potentials exist.  So far, the only behavior that is atypical for a corn snake mutation is that many of the non-mutant siblings of Tessera types seem to have enhanced pattern and color features.  So far, I don’t see any hybrid markers, since the collateral sibling features to which I refer are – so far – in the realm of improving existing corn snake features (i.e. some non-Tesseras have better, brighter, cleaner, and/or more consistent colors and markings). 

 

Important Note: 
  These images are not renderings of the actual animals being offered, (except for uniquely offered snakes found in the SURPLUS section of this web site).  We do not provide pictures of individual hatchling snakes for sale, nor do we recommend that you ever choose a new pet based on an image of its neonatal form.  Corns change so dramatically from hatchling to adult, they will NEVER have the same colors or contrasts throughout maturity. While most of the snakes we produce will mature to resemble the featured adult image(s) on our web site, unlike manufactured products that are respectively clones of each other, the nature of polygenic variation results in each animal being similar but not identical to others of its morph. The snake we select for you may not mature to be identical to the pictured examples, but will be chosen based on our experience of observing which neonates will mature to properly represent their respective morph.  We take this responsibility very seriously, and therefore publish the guarantee that we will exchange your SMR snake if it does not mature to be like our advertised examples.

 

 

What to expect:
At this early period in the Tessera’s resume, we still don’t know what phenotypic potentials exist.  So far, the only trait(s) that are atypical for a corn snake mutation is that many of the non-mutant siblings of Tessera types seem to have enhanced pattern and color features.  So far, I don’t see any hybrid markers, since the collateral sibling features to which I refer are – so far – in the realm of improving existing corn snake features (i.e. some non-Tesseras have better, brighter, cleaner, and/or more consistent colors and markings).

 
 
What to expect:
At this early period in the Tessera’s resume, we still don’t know what phenotypic potentials exist.  So far, the only behavior that is atypical for a corn snake mutation is that many of the non-mutant siblings of Tessera types seem to have enhanced pattern and color features.  So far, I don’t see any hybrid markers, since the collateral sibling features to which I refer are – so far – in the realm of improving existing corn snake features (i.e. some non-Tesseras have better, brighter, cleaner, and/or more consistent colors and markings). 

 

Anery Tessera 2014

Anery Tessera (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Anery Tessera
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Dominant
Morph Type: Single Dominant Mutation (Tessera) & simple recessive (Anery)
Eye Color:  Black pupil & body ground colored iris
 
 

FIRST, what makes Tesseras so expensive? Other than appearance, the primary (and inherent) value of Tessera-type Corns is their mode of inheritance.  Since they are dominant to wild type, pairing any Tessera Type that is a Visual Het to ANY corn snake (other than a Tessera-type) will render 50% Tessera mutants in the F1 (first) out-crossed generation.  The results of pairing an Tessera homozygote with ANY corn snake (other than a Tessera-type) will render 100% Tessera mutants.

Adding the recessively inherited gene mutation, Anerythristic (Anery for short) to the dominantly inherited gene mutation, Tessera results in this amazing corn.  

 
History of the Tessera Mutation:
In 2007, Graham Criglow asked KJ Lodrigue to order a 1.2 trio of Striped Motleys that were advertised on one of the popular Online Classified sites – since Graham’s job prevented him from personally receiving them at that time.  When they arrived, KJ discovered that they constituted a 2.1 reverse trio (two males and one female) instead of the advertised 1.2 trio (one male and two females).  KJ and Kasi recommended that Graham gift the extra male to me, and that’s what Graham did.  Profound thanks to Graham, KJ, and Kasi for that gracious and fortuitous gift.  In 2008, both the Lodrigues and I independently bred our males (Graham’s and mine) to novel (unrelated) corns. I produced about 24 TESSERAS (so named by the Lodrigues for the tessellated lateral markings) from over 50 fertile eggs, but since the Lodrigues were in the middle of a career move to another State, they were less fortunate, producing just four non-mutant Okeetee-looking corns.  My Tesseras were produced by the pairing of the male Tessera to three novel female corns (two F1 Locality Okeetees from Chip Bridges Rhett Butler Line and one Okeetee-ish female, Het for Stripe and Amel).  Imagine my surprise in seeing what we thought were nearly flawless Striped Motleys from three different females, only one of which was Het for a recessive pattern mutation?  After the first brood of 50% Tesseras hatched from the female that was het for Stripe and Amel, except for the perfection of pattern, I was not thinking new dominantmutation, but when both wild-type Okeetees produced the same results, it was obvious that a new mutation was discovered.

 

Upon receiving the reverse trio from the seller, we all commented on the mutual peculiarity of the phenotypes.  Most appeared to be the most perfectly Striped Motleys ever seen – in so much as their dorsal stripes were nearly contiguous from neck to tail tip (something never before seen in any corn snake pattern mutant) – but that was hardly possible if the admission of the breeder were true – that they were products of pairing a Striped corn with an Okeetee corn.  How could these descendants of a Striped corn bred to an Okeetee be Motley types, instead of Striped?  It is still unclear if those 2.1 Tesseras were F1s (first familial generation) or F2s (the originator of this line is now out of the hobby and difficult to reach – for clarification).  If these three Tesseras are F1s, my deduction is that the striped corn he used in the original pairing was actually Striped AND Tessera.  Even if those three were F2s, the likelihood of the mutant patriarch being a Striped Tessera is strong.


What to expect:
At this early period in the Tessera’s resume, we still don’t know what phenotypic potentials exist.  So far, the only trait(s) that are atypical for a corn snake mutation is that many of the non-mutant siblings of Tessera types seem to have enhanced pattern and color features.  So far, I don’t see any hybrid markers, since the collateral sibling features to which I refer are – so far – in the realm of improving existing corn snake features (i.e. some non-Tesseras have better, brighter, cleaner, and/or more consistent colors and markings).

 

Important Note:
  These images are not renderings of the actual animals being offered, (except for uniquely offered snakes found in the SURPLUS section of this web site).  We do not provide pictures of individual hatchling snakes for sale, nor do we recommend that you ever choose a new pet based on an image of its neonatal form.  Corns change so dramatically from hatchling to adult, they will NEVER have the same colors or contrasts throughout maturity. While most of the snakes we produce will mature to resemble the featured adult image(s) on our web site, unlike manufactured products that are respectively clones of each other, the nature of polygenic variation results in each animal being similar but not identical to others of its morph. The snake we select for you may not mature to be identical to the pictured examples, but will be chosen based on our experience of observing which neonates will mature to properly represent their respective morph.  We take this responsibility very seriously, and therefore publish the guarantee that we will exchange your SMR snake if it does not mature to be like our advertised examples.

Motley ANERYthristic 2014

Anery Motley (aka: Anerythristic  Motley)
Most Commonly Used Name: Anery Motley (hobby abbreviation for Anerythristic Motley)
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Morph Type: Mutation Compound (Anery + Motley)

Eye color: Black pupil with gray or silver iris

 

This compound morph results from combining the color mutation, Anery with the pattern mutation, Motley. Except for pattern variatiants (Hurricane Anery Motleys), the only obvious results of the combination of these mutations is usually less carotenoid yellow than their non motley Anery counterparts, and reduced color saturation of black.  As with some single mutant Anery corns, males can demonstrate earth tone coloration, seldom seen in females of this morph.  

What to expect:

As neonates, Anery Motleys usually appear to be white snakes with black markings.  As they mature, the white usually turns to gray, but markings can be anything between dark shades of gray to black.  Some have only a few of the classic chain-like Motley dorsal circles, while some sport a long and contiguous  “chain” pattern of dorsal circles – nearly all the way to the tail.  Never expect to see such dorsal circles ON the tail itself.  As with all Anery mutants, hatchling Anery Motleys display no yellow around the face and neck, but as they mature, virtually all will develop facial and lateral yellow color zones that slowly manifest with maturity – from the retention of carotenoids in their diet.  BTW, the Motley pattern mutation virtually always alters color and markings – if only slightly. Patterns are often less distinct, and colors are sometimes slighted softened in Motley mutants – compared to non-Motleys..

 

 

Important Note: 
  These images are not renderings of the actual animals being offered, (except for uniquely offered snakes found in the SURPLUS section of this web site).  We do not provide pictures of individual hatchling snakes for sale, nor do we recommend that you ever choose a new pet based on an image of its neonatal form.  Corns change so dramatically from hatchling to adult, they will NEVER have the same colors or contrasts throughout maturity.While most of the snakes we produce will mature to resemble the featured adult image(s) on our web site, unlike manufactured products that are respectively clones of each other, the nature of polygenic variation results in each animal being similar but not identical to others of its morph. The snake we select for you may not mature to be identical to the pictured examples, but will be chosen based on our experience of observing which neonates will mature to properly represent their respective morph.  We take this responsibility very seriously, and therefore publish the guarantee that we will exchange your SMR snake if it does not mature to be like our advertised examples.

Creamsicle Bloodred 2014

 

INTERSPECIES  HYBRID !
Creamsicle Bloodred (aka: Diffused Creamsicle, Bloodsicles)

Most Commonly Used Name:  Diffused Creamsicle
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive corn snake Amel + Emory’s Rat Snake + recessive Diffused
Morph Type: Single recessive HYBRID Mutation + recessive Diffused
Eye Color:  RED pupil

 

 

The HYBRID element of this morph compound was formerly considered an intergrade of what used to be two corn snake subspecies (Elaphe guttatus guttatus X Elaphe guttatus emoryi), Creamsicles are the final product of crossing an Emory’s Rat (aka: Great Plains Rat Snake) with an Amel corn. Since the new taxonomic classification assigns distinct species to each (Pantherophis emoryi and Pantherophis guttatus), in herpetocultural vernacular, Creamsicles are now officially considered hybrids.  ANY progeny from Creamsicles or any corn snake that has any degree of Emory’s Rat Snake in it, is considered a HYBRID.  The albinos are called Creamsicles and the non-albinos are often called Rootbeers.

 

 

Combination of the HYBRID Creamsicle and the Diffused mutation (see Diffused VS Bloodred history) renders this beautifully orange corn snake morph.

 

 

 
What to expect:
Hatchling Creamsicles are orange hybrid versions of Amel corns, so they can have any pattern you see in corn snakes.  I’ve seen Creamsicles that were yellow on yellow, some that were orange on orange, and some that were red on orange – demonstrating the polygenic variability seen in all animals.  Not unlike some hybrid snakes that can be selectively bred to eventually hide all visual traces of their alien ancestor, some Creamsicles are virtually identical to Amel corns.  Creamsicles (and Root Beers) usually have what we call Hybrid Vigor (robust size and propensities for hardy appetites and rapid growth) from being out-crossed to unrelated snakes.  We all hope that breeders will always reveal the genetic background of all their snakes, but I know people that have purchased obvious Creamsicles in pet stores and reptile expos, but were never advised of their hybrid origins.

 

 

 

SURPLUS section of this web site).  We do not provide pictures of individual hatchling snakes for sale, nor do we recommend that you ever choose a new pet based on an image of its neonatal form.  Corns change so dramatically from hatchling to adult, they will NEVER have the same colors or contrasts throughout maturity.While most of the snakes we produce will mature to resemble the featured adult image(s) on our web site, unlike manufactured products that are respectively clones of each other, the nature of polygenic variation results in each animal being similar but not identical to others of its morph. The snake we select for you may not mature to be identical to the pictured examples, but will be chosen based on our experience of observing which neonates will mature to properly represent their respective morph.  We take this responsibility very seriously, and therefore publish the guarantee that we will exchange your SMR snake if it does not mature to be like our advertised examples.

 

 

Glossary Term Hyperlinks: