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2009 Sunglow 092411

This 2009 Male Sunglow is from a project geared toward making the most yellow albino corns (not butters) that have the least amount of white saddle borders and the prettiest orange markings. Since this one is the product of pairing a Butter corn to a Sunglow Motley, he is HET for Motley. He is currently 32″ long, so he will be a large 2012 breeder for someone. Currently eating frozen/thawed hopper or small adult mice.

2010 Striped Amber

Striped Amber (no aka)

Most Commonly Used Name: Striped Amber
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Morph Type: Mutation compound (Stripe + Caramel + Hypo A)

This compound recessive morph results from combining the three recessive color mutations; Stripe, Caramel and Hypo A. As most pattern mutations in corns do, Stripe has the visual impact on this triple mutant of brightening the overall yellow coloration.

What to expect:

Hatchlings are generally brown to brownish gold, but lighten with age, rendering a beautiful pale gold to bright yellow overall coloration. Never expect to see black on Striped Ambers, as all markings are darkened versions of the basal ground coloration. Adults are usually bright yellow, with tan to brown longitudinal markings.

Important Note:
The advertising images on our web site are representations of the average adult example of each morph. 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.

$175.00

$175.00 Payment.

$45.00

$45.00 Payment.

2010 Butter

Butter (no aka)

Most Commonly Used Name: Butter
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: recessive
Morph Type: Mutation Compound (Amel + Caramel)

Eye Color: Red pupil

The genetic product of combining the Amel and Caramel recessive mutations render the ultimate expression of yellow in corns. Both color and pattern are variable in hue and shades, but all adults demonstrate what is left when the Amel mutation removes melanin from the Caramel mutation; YELLOW.

What to expect:

Expect most neonates to have surprisingly low-quality yellow (compared to adults), and pattern on some may actually be brown for up to a year or longer. I have personally never seen one retain non yellow colors throughout maturity, so be patient. In six to 18 months, all other colors should transform to yellow. Some will demonstrate slightly obvious white blotch margins. The base color mutation yellow is spectacular, and therefore popular in corn snake herpetoculture.

CT 900

When you receive the receipt for this payment, it will mention that postage is included in the price of the book. I can’t figure out how to get that off. The template (module) for this shopping cart item has that verbiage embedded in the code, and I haven’t yet figured out how to make it go away. : (

2010Blue Striped Motley – aka: Dilute Anery Motley

Blue Striped Motley (aka: Dilute Anery Striped Motley)

Most Commonly Used Name: Blue Striped Motley
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive

Type: Triple Mutation Compound (Dilute + Anery + Motley)

Eye Color: Black pupil & body ground colored iris (usually silver or pale blue)

Combining the three recessive gene mutations; Anery, Dilute, and Striped Motley result in a beautiful compound most commonly referred to as the Blue Motley. The genetic impact of the Dilute mutation is similar to the Blue Merle Collie and Shetland Sheep dogs – a softening of black – usually resulting in pleasing pale blue or silver colors. Typically, the Anery and Dilute color mutations do not noticeably affect the Motley pattern mutation, but Motley virtually always improves corn snake colors.

What to expect:

Some Blue Motleys could be mistaken for Pastel Motley (aka: Ghost Motley) and I have seen some that resembled Lavender Motleys. Not unlike Pastel Motleys, males are usually distinguishable from females by having more “earth tones” in their markings, ground color zones, and sometimes both. Virtually all females lack this added color shade, remaining pale blue as adults. Females with the earth tones are uncommon, but in the future of adding other color and pattern mutations to this morph, we’re sure to see alteration of overall coloration. 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-Motley Dilutes – but melanin is reduced. Expect some of the markings to have fused to created short stripes intermixed with the classic Motley markings.

Glossary Term Hyperlinks:

aerobic allele amelanistic anerythrism anomaly anterior atypical axanthic Bechtel, Dr. H. Bernard brumation Carl Kauffeld carotene carotenoid Celcius chromatophore chromosome cloaca codominant colubrid compound conjunct contiguous cryptosis disjunct diurnal DNA dominant dorsal dysecdysis ecdysis ectothermic embryo embryogenic empirical epidermis erythrism erythrophore F¹ Fahrenheit genotype gene genotype gravid guarantee hatchling herpetoculture heritable heredity herpetology heterozygous homozygous Hume hybrid hyper hypomelanistic hypo integument intergrade iridiophore lateral leucism line-breeding locus marker January 17, 2021January 17, 2021Morphs

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Amel Motley (Albino Motley)
Most Commonly Used Name: Amel Motley
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Morph Type: Double mutation compound (Amel & Motley)

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 “cluttered” colors in 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.

Note:
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 identical to each other, the nature of polygenic variation results in no two specimens being exactly the same. 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 replace your SMR snake if it does not mature to be like our advertised examples.

Amber Amel Motley Amel Anery Motley Anery Banded Bloodred Blue Motley Butter Butter Motley Candy Cane Caramel Caramel Motley Charcoal Coral Snow Creamsicle Diffused Fire Fluorescent Ghost Ghost Motley Gold Dust Granite High White Hypo Bloodred Hypo Lavender Lavender Lavender Motley Miami Phase Motley Okeetee Okeetee Locality Okeetee Creamsicle Opal Opal Motley Pastel Motley Pewter Phantom Reverse Okeetee Rosy Bloodred Snow Strawberry Stripe Striped Amel Striped Anery Striped Butter Striped Caramel Striped Creamsicle Striped Ghost Striped Gold Dust Striped Hypo Striped Snow Striped Ultramel Striped Motley Sunglow Motley Sunkissed Terrazzo Tessera Ultramel Ultramel Anery Ultramel Bloodred Vanishing Stripe

Ultra/Ultramel

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 heterozygotes of 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.

Snow Tessera

Snow Tessera (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Snow Tessera
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Dominant
Morph Type: Dominant & Recessive Gene Mutations

Eye Color: Red pupil

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 Ultra 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.

Snow Tesseras are virtually identical to exceptionally well patterned Striped Snow Motleys in appearance, but that’s where the resemblance ends. The remarkably consistent Striped Motley-type pattern that derives from the base mutation, Tessera, is inherited dominantly. Hence, when you breed a Snow Tessera to a Snow, both Snows and Snow Tesseras (approximately 50/50) will comprise the F¹s (First Generation Progeny). No waiting one more generation to get pattern mutants, since Tessera is dominant to wild type.

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 do not 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).

As hatchlings, Snow Tesseras look virtually identical to exceptionally well patterned Striped Snow Motleys. Of course, the primary distinction is not visible. It is that of the dominant inheritance. We’re still not quite sure what to tell you about the adult appearance of Snow Tesseras, as 2010 was the first year they were produced here. Updated pictures will be made available 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 are all over the charts. A precious few have enough belly checkering to qualify them as wild-type common corns — until you flip them over to see their mutant pattern elsewhere. About 1/3 of them have roughly 15% to 30% of the volume of checkering seen in wild-types, and about 1/3 or more have virtually no belly checkering at all. Some of the ones with NO belly checkering have organized strings of black markings running the length of both sides of the belly, along the ventral keel. Of course, belly checkering would be difficult to see on Amelanistic, Snow, and Blizzard variants of Tesseras.

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 (or 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 Posted on January 17, 2021Categories Old Shop