Category: Morphs

Extreme Reverse Okeetee 2014

Extreme Reverse Okeetee (aka: Amel Okeetee, Albino Okeetee, Amel Buckskin Okeetee)
Most Commonly Used Name: Extreme Reverse Okeetee
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive + Selective Variation
Morph Type: Selective variant of single recessive mutation
Eye Color:  Red pupils

 

Extreme Reverse Okeetees are variants of the basic Amel Mutation, but with the polygenic impact from the Buckskin Okeetees. Therefore, their only visual distinction from Amel corns is their polygenetic color and pattern scheme.  Genetically speaking, like their cousins, Extreme Reverse Okeetees, are Amel corns that have been selectively bred to promote their target look (Highly saturated blotch colors, separated from clean and unspeckled ground coloration by prominent white blotch margins). Red or orange markings are not difficult to reproduce through generational line breeding, but the quality and size of the white blotch margins is often difficult to achieve, and sometimes difficult to maintain through subsequent generations.  Note that the ground color zones of Extreme Reverse Okeetees run toward yellow, relative to their Reverse Okeetee cousins. The degree of color purity in the orange background and red (or orange) markings have been enhanced via polygenetic traits, modified through selective promotion of only the best target phenotypes. Some will exhibit color “clutter” in these zones, but a distinction between Reverse Okeetees and most Amel corns should be a dramatic reduction in color “noise” — rendering richer colors of blotch and ground color zones.  The blotch margins are often very wide, compared to most Okeetee and Amel Okeetee types. 

 

 

What to expect:

Reverse Okeetees are one of the few corn snake mutations that change very little between neonate and adult, so expect some deeper color saturation throughout maturity.  The often “neutrally colored” blotch margins turn bright white throughout maturity.  I don’t recall ever seeing one that was completely devoid of color litter in the pattern and ground zones, but we’re getting closer to that  with  each generation. Some of the hatchlings displaying orange markings mature to have redder markings, and some of those starting with red markings change to orange, but approximately 75% of all our red ones stay red, and about the same percentage of the orange marked ones stay orange.
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Two Extreme Reverse Okeetees (Amel Extreme Buckskin Okeetees) pictured with a Buckskin Okeetee sibling on 06/10/13. 
 

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:

Rootbeer Bloodred 2014

INTERSPECIES  HYBRID !

Rootbeer Bloodred (aka: Diffused Rootbeers, Rootbeer Bloods)
Most Commonly Used Name:  Rootbeer Bloodreds
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive corn snake Emory’s Rat Snake + recessive Diffused
Morph Type: Single recessive HYBRID Mutation + recessive Diffused
Eye Color:  Black 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. Their non-Amel counterparts without red pupils are called Rootbeers.  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 Diffused/Bloodred mutation (see Diffused VS Bloodred history) and the Emory’s Rat Snake ancestry render these beautifully pale wild-type colored corn snake morph.

 

 

 
What to expect:
Hatchling Rootbeers have any pattern you see in corn snakes.  I’ve seen Rootbeers that were as dark as Chocolate, but most look like their namesake drink, Root Beer.  Not unlike some hybrid snakes that can be selectively bred to eventually hide all visual traces of their alien ancestor, some Creamsicles and Rootbeers can be respectively identical to Amel and wild-type common corns .  Root Beers (and their creamsicle cousins) 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 and Rootbeers 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:

High White Reverse Okeetee 2014

High White Reverse Okeetee (aka: High White Corn)
Most Commonly Used Name: High White Reverse Okeetee
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive + Selective Variation
Morph Type: Selective variant of single recessive mutation
Eye Color: RED pupil

 

High White Reverse Okeetees are variants of the basic Reverse Okeetee mutants (Amel is the only mutation known to exist in this morph).  Genetically speaking, Reverse Okeetees are Amel corns that have been selectively bred to promote their target look (Highly saturated blotch colors, separated from clean and unstippled ground coloration by prominent white blotch margins).  High Whites are selectively bred variants of Reverse Okeetees – toward the target phenotype of having the cleanest white ground coloration.  Since the only mutation they possess is Amel, the obvious distinction between any Reverse Okeetee and the average Amel corn is the distinctive color scheme.  Red or orange markings are not difficult to reproduce through generational line breeding, but the white background color is very difficult to achieve, and sometimes difficult to maintain through subsequent generations.  The white background and red (or orange) markings have been enhanced via polygenetic traits, modified through selective promotion of only the best target phenotypes. While we have greatly reduced the orange coloration in the ground color zones, even our best High Whites show a blush of orange between markings, especially on the first 1/3 of the body.  High White refers to the predominantly white ground color zones, but some also have atypically broad white blotch margins.
 
 

When breeding two Hifh White Reverse Okeetees together, because they are Amel mutants, you are assured of getting 100% amels, but factoring in the variability of the interactions between genes (polygenetics) means that not necessarily all the offspring will be marketable High Whites.  We cull out the ones that do not satisfy our quality standards for High White Reverse Okeetee color and pattern, and those are sold as Reverse Okeetee corns.

 

What to expect: 
As neonates, all High Whites are shockingly red or orange on white, but expect neonates and adults to exhibit slight amounts of pale orange ground color between markings, relegated mostly to the front part of the body.  I don’t recall ever seeing one that was completely devoid of color litter over the entire ground zones, but we’re getting closer to that  with  each generation.  If our High White Reverse Okeetee corns did not have such thick white borders, they would be perfect candy canes.  Some of the hatchlings displaying orange markings mature to have redder markings, and some of those starting with red markings change to orange.  About 75% of all our red ones stay red, and about the same percentage of the orange marked ones stay orange. 

 

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.

 

 

Miami Phase 2014

Miami Phase (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Miami
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Dominant (wild-type)+ Selective Variation
Morph Type: Selective Variant of wild-type
Eye Color: Black pupil & body ground colored iris

 

Miami Phase (not to be confused with Locality Miami corns) being a non-mutant morph, it is not inherited recessively, and the polygenetic nature of trait modification normally results in a higher variety of coloration among morph members. While there is some variety among our Miami corns, the color alteration of gray and orange or brick red (from neonate to adult) demonstrated in this genetic line is remarkable.

 

What to expect:
As with most corn snake neonates, expect young Miamis to be lackluster for at least one year, and considerably darker than their adult parents.  Compared to other corn snake morphs, relative to color changing through maturation, this line predictably demonstrates vibrant red or orange markings on a gray or silver background, beginning in their sub adult size.  Reproducing wild-caught Miami locality corns can cause great frustration to snake breeders.  Babies of the wild locality Miamis often do not want to eat anything other than lizards, but our Miami corns are voracious rodent feeders.  We do not entice our babies to eat lizard-scented pinky mice and such prey offerings are never altered (other than being hot water rinsed prior to being offered).  Another trait of most locality Miami corns is that of being slightly smaller than most wild corns.  In that Miami corns have been selectively bred for so many generations, most of ours reach predictably normal corn snake sizes, even though they hatch slightly smaller than most corn snakes.
 

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.

Moonstone (Lavender Anery) 2014

Anery Lavender or Lavender Anery (aka: Moonstone)
Most Commonly Used Name: Moonstone
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Type: Triple Mutation Compound (Lavender+ Anery)
Eye Color:  Black or RED pupil

 

Combining the three recessive gene mutations; Anery and Motley result in a beautiful compound most commonly referred to as the the Moonstone.  

What to expect:
Hatchlings often look similar to Anery corns, but have paler eyes than Aneries (either red or black).  Some have dark eye pupils, but most have reddish pupils they inherit from their Lavender ancestry.  We don’t yet know why some Lavender mutants have reddish pupils, while others have black pupils or pupils between black and Red. 
 

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.

Het Palmetto 2014

Palmetto Het (Heterozygote)

Most Commonly Used Name: Palmetto
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive to Wild-type
Morph Type: Simple recessive gene mutation
Eye Color: Black pupil and dirty white to silver iris
Price: $2,000.00 usd
 
 
hetpm2103my13

NOTE:  Male heterozygote and homozygote Palmettos will begin selling in 2015, and only 2015 hatchlings will be sold.  Our marketing strategy of selling only female Palmettos until 2015 is practiced toward the goal of ensuring everyone that no one person will have the advantage of acquiring a male Palmetto before anyone else.  Continuing that logic, 2016, we may sell a few 2015 yearlings, and after 2016, perhaps Adults can be purchased, but until then, everyone who owns a Palmetto is essentially on an even playing field with all other Palmetto owners.  

Until 2015 or later, no Het or Homo Palmetto males will be sold, traded, gifted, or otherwise leave SMR.  Pictured is a typical specimen of corn snake that is Het for Palmetto (having one copy of the mutation and therefore do not have the appearance of the Homozygote/visual Palmetto).  Virtually 98 out of 100 are relatively tan-colored (compared to classic corns) and below the sides of the markings, colors tend to diffuse.  It’s amazing how little variance there is between Het Palmettos.  Few corns (if any) have demonstrated such a static phenotype for the genotype of a corn with only one copy of the Palmetto Mutation; HETS.  Some of our Het Palmettos are also het for other color mutations, but because they are the products of Palmattos X Het Palmettos, the only het mutation we guarantee is that of the Palmatto Mutation.  Other mutations that could be in the Het Palmettos include; Amel, Anery, Charcoal, and Stripe.  Suffice, the Het Palmetto you purchase will look similar to the picture above and will look nothing like the mostly white visual Homo Palmetto pic’d elsewhere on our web site.  

 

Palmetto Corn snake History:

Status of the Palmetto in the marketplace:
The adult male we have that was captured in the wilds of South Carolina in 2008 is the only one known to ever have been collected in the wild, and none have been produced in captivity until now.  In 2010 we produced several heterozygotes.  In 2012, we bred several of the hets together and back to the wild-caught adult male patriarch.  Ten homozygote (aka: visual) Palmettos were sold in the U.S. and Europe in 2012 and including our stock, no other Palmetto corns exist anywhere in the world.   
 
How the Palmetto Corn Snake got its name:
A perfectly natural trend exists in herpetoculture toDAY to sometimes hastily assign hopefully unique  names to newly-discovered mutations, morphs, or traits, but in the haste that often drives such assignments  – usually via desire to be the first to name the new morph – insufficient consideration is given to the potential that some of the phenotypes of the new morph may not have immediate and parallel association with the new name.  Historically, in our hobby, upon reading the name of a new corn snake morph, one should conjure a mental expectation before seeing it, and if that expectation is met, the morph name will usually be successful in the marketplace.  Because of the highly colorful nature of corn snake mutations and their selective variants, namesakes are usually colors, fruits, or candies. If the person naming the morph did his/her homework, the chosen names are accurate most of the time, but sometimes, it is discovered that not enough individuals were examined prior to naming.  This can result in the new morph name not accurately reflecting the appearance of most members of that morph.  In the absence of a regulating entity governing such name assignments, and because patents are not granted for corn snake morphs, anyone can assign names to corn snake morphs that they discover.  As it usually is with any product, success is ultimately dictated by the consumers.  If they like the name, it sticks.  This is notably demonstrated when two or more people producing the same morph have assigned different names to it.  One of those names usually wins out over the others, but there are cases where more than one name applies to the same morph, and a descriptor denotes the genetic family (usually the name of the respective gene/trait discoverer).
 
I labored over many names I thought were befitting this unusual and stunning snake, but most were already assigned to other corn snake morphs.  Keeping in mind that descendants of the wild-caught male may not have his general phenotype, I was dubious about using a color, pattern, or familiar and commonly recognizable appearance namesake.  Therefore, I abandoned the visual namesake convention – in favor of a name that did not require a mental or visual association.  Of course, the name Palmetto is associated with the state in which this snake was captured; South Carolina (aka:The Palmetto State).
 
How can you be sure this is a corn snake, Don? 
In the absence of DNA testing, it’s not possible to make a 100% positive genetic identification, but there are enough markers for me to say it is a pure corn snake.  Most reptile mutants have features that are anomalous to their nominate forms, and such anomalies can be beyond the obvious habitat ranges and color & pattern features that normally distinguish them.  Of course, not unlike the Leucistic Rat Snake that lacks any color or pattern resemblance to its species phenotype, the color and pattern of the Palmetto looks nothing like ANY snake species. Other than telling you that this snake was viewed by many corn snake keepers and breeders at one or more reptile shows prior to acquiring it, and was thoroughly and painstakingly photographed by Bill Love of Blue Chameleon Ventures, I have closely compared the Palmetto’s anatomical features to those of Corn Snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) and the only U.S. Rat Snakes found where this one was captured – (Black and Yellow Rat Snakes; Pantherophis obsoletus obsoletus and Pantherophis obsoletus quadrivittata).  In that those are the only two U.S. Rat Snake species that naturally occur in the vicinity of where the wild-caught male was captured, all Rat Snake references hereafter in the Palmetto morph discussion refer collectively to Black Rats and Yellow Rats – unless otherwise noted.
Palmetto Corn SnakeThe Palmetto’s anal plate is divided like both Corn Snake and Rat Snake species, dorsal and lateral scales that are keeled conform more to Corns than Rat Snakes (even though scale keeling is variable in captive-bred individuals of both species), the larger radius of The Palmetto’s ventral keel is like that of the Corn, vs. the sharper ventral keel of the Rat Snake, facial scales are generally shaped more like a Corn than a Rat Snake (count ranges are essentially the same for both species), and the Palmetto’s 70 subcaudal scale count barely overlaps the 63-90 count of the Black Rat Snake (not rare), but is well below the 75-102 count for Yellow Rat Snakes (P. o. quadrivittata) – thereby largely eliminating the Yellow Rat Snake as a genetic donor.  Bear in mind that other than average adult size and DNA comparisons from reliable baseline samples, the primary distinction between Corn Snakes and the SC Rat Snakes is in the realm of appearance (color and pattern schemes), so when a mutation dramatically deviates from a species’ appearance standards, cousin species like Corns and Rat Snakes are sometimes difficult to differentiate.  Since temperament can be respectively anomalous in either of these species (some corns may perpetually bite and some Rat Snakes can be reliably friendly to humans), it is not reliable to attempt distinction in this realm.  Distinguishing between two species that have similar scalation can sometimes be challenging, since they may overlap each others’ scale-count ranges (as is the case here). Likewise, exceptions in the realm of size in either species is inherent in both Corns and North American Rat Snakes (there are adult Corns larger than the average SC Rat Snake and vice-versa).  Based on these observations, in my experienced opinion (and that of several other veteran Rat and Corn Snake keepers), the Palmetto is a corn snake.  It may well be the first leucistic-type mutation to be discovered in corns; albeit historically unusual-looking for a leucistic serpent – with its predictable color flecking, never seen in North American Rat Snakes.  Until we see more examples of Palmettos, we will not know the general appearance of this morph, but so far (as of July 8, 2011) the five F2 visual Palmettos are remarkably consistent in appearance to the original patriarch (above pictured adult).  The eyes certainly are like most leucistic serpent mutants, as is the predominant white scalation.  Many Leucistic Rat Snakes have one (or a scant few) “smudges” of color on them, but far fewer than the first five captive specimens exhibit, and those color anomalies are generally much smaller than seen on this Palmetto. It is rare to see more than one or two such color smudges on Leucistic Black or Texas Rat Snakes, and as you can see on Palmettos, there are dozens (if not hundreds) of scales that have deeply defined colors AND far too many color smudges like the few that are seen on some Leucistic Rat Snakes.  Among the many hundreds of Leucistic Texas and Black Rat Snakes I’ve produced and many more that I have seen in the industry, I estimate that only one of every ten of them have color anomalies (smudges), and at least three times rarer are ones that have more than one small color smudge.
Hatchling Size:
The second clutch of eggs that hatched in 2011 yielded the following length and weight vital statistics:
 
Palmetto Hatchling #  1 = 9.2 in (23.4cm) and 5 grams
Palmetto Hatchling #  2 = 8.7 in (23.4cm) and 4 grams
Palmetto Hatchling #  3 = 8.9 in (22.1cm) and 4 grams
Palmetto Hatchling #  4 = 9.2 in (23.4cm) and 4 grams
Palmetto Hatchling #  5 = 8.8 in (22.4cm) and 4 grams
Palmetto Hatchling #  6 = 9.2 in (23.4cm) and 4 grams
Normal – Heterozygote Hatchling #  7 = 9.3 in (23.6cm) and 4 grams
Normal – Heterozygote Hatchling #  8 = 8.2 in (20.8cm) and 4 grams
Normal – Heterozygote Hatchling #  9 = 9.4 in (23.9cm) and 4 grams
Normal – Heterozygote Hatchling #10 = 9.0 in (22.9cm) and 4 grams
Normal – Heterozygote Hatchling #11 = 8.6 in (21.8cm) and 4 grams
 

As cited above, all are slightly under the average size for a hatchling corn snake and far below the averages for most SC Rat Snakes.  Regarding the likelihood that the wild-caught Palmetto being a hybrid of Corn Snake and Rat Snake, I’m not seeing any indication of it.  Most colubrid inter-species hybrids have what we call HYBRID VIGOR where progeny of such hybrid pairings display robust size and vigor.  Every single hatchling Palmetto so far not only lacks HYBRID VIGOR, but is smaller than virtually any corns I’ve EVER hatched.

 
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.
 
UPDATE regarding Het Palmettos, March 31, 2014 per S.O.T.D. 03-31-14

After noting that most of the Palmetto Hets have a phenotype that is decidedly not like that of wild-type corns, I agree with Vin Russo’s and Rich Hume’s observation that the inheritance of the Palmetto mutation is likely incomplete-dominant to wild-type.  This is not uncommon in white snakes (i.e. Leucistic mutations) of other species for their  Posted on Categories Morphs

Butter 2014

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.
 
 

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 Bloodred 2014

Striped Bloodred (aka: blood)
Note:  Expect DIFFUSED and BLOODRED to be incorrectly but synonymously used
Most Commonly used Name: Striped Bloodred
Mode of Genetic Inheritance:Selective Variation + Recessive
Morph Type:Single recessive mutations STRIPE and BLOODRED & selective diffusion variation
Eye Color:  Black pupil & body ground colored iris
 
Striped Bloodreds are–naturally–the result of adding the pattern mutation STRIPE to the color and pattern mutation BLOODRED.  
 
What to expect:
As neonates, Striped Bloodred corns are often heavily patterned (sides are generally faded or lacking typical lateral markings). Some exhibit black (or partially black) scales bordering some of the pattern blotches/stripes, and most of them have head patterns that are notably unlike those of typical corns. Most SMR Striped Bloodreds diffuse dramatically through maturity, thereby rendering adults that are nearly devoid of head markings, dorsal and side markings, (any visible dorsal markings will be very faint or absent).  There will be NO belly checkering, but ventral coloration can be all red, all white, or red and white (no black).  Hatchlings have strong but broken–and partially missing–stripes (including “tweener” markings that sometimes resemble bow-ties or hour glasses), but as adults, those broken stripes and tweener mrakings are virtually invisible, due to the diffusion that occurs during maturity.  As adults, Striped Bloodreds look virtually patternless. 
 

A few years ago, due to confusion regarding the heritability of the Bloodred’s base mutation (specifically that the namesake snakes were not red and/or diffused), the base mutation name was changed away from Bloodred – to Diffused.  The mechanics of this gene mutation barely diffuse the F1 homozygotesthrough maturity (if at all), so do not expect Diffused corns to look like Bloodreds.  It is currently believed that Bloodred corns are the product of enhancing the base mutation, Diffused via polygenetic trait modification (selective breeding) to render a red and almost pattern-less (highly diffused) corn snake.  That is not the opinion of this author, but in the absence of empirical evidence to the contrary, the best hobby and market interests are not served by published opposition to popular opinion.  In other words, I’m not in favor of changing the morph name away from the original Bloodred since the new name Diffused is equally inaccurate.  Without polygenetic modification, Diffused corns do not have a diffused appearance.

 

A brief history on Diffused mutants VS Bloodred mutants:

Initially, the corn snake gene mutation, Diffusion (formerly called Bloodred) was described as being recessively inherited, but many of the F1 generational heterozygotes exhibited some of the obvious features of the gene mutation homozygotes.  It is extremely rare for simple recessive F1 heterozygotes to exhibit ANY features of their recessively inherited genetic mutation.  For example, F1heterozygous Amel corn snakes have no markers that demonstrate a hint of their simple recessive mutation, Amel.  The paradoxical partial-exhibition of the Diffusion mutation in the heterozygotes resulted in the Diffused mutation being re-described as having codominant inheritance (codom for short), but was tagged with the descriptor, variable.  At that time, variable codom seemed an accurate and satisfactory genetic description for the radical color and pattern diversity among members of this mutation, but far too many genetic anomalies persisted. Identification of the inheritance of this mutation is once again considered simple recessive, but the Bloodred corn that most of us identify with toDAY is virtually always the aggregate of traits resulting from the Diffused (new mutation name) gene mutation PLUS polygenetic traits promoted by selectively breeding toward the highest expressions of melanin reduction, diffusion, and red color saturation.
 

Many of the early Bloodred corns in the early 1990s were overly inbred and therefore suffered poor fertility (not to mention – the progeny of many of the first generations were stubbornly lizard lovers, refusing to eat pinky mice).  Thankfully, through out-crossing in our projects to improve or change colors and patterns, Bloodreds no longer rank high in the realms of sterility or reluctance to eat rodents.   In fact, there are some seasons in which Bloodreds are among the best feeders of our corn snake neonates.

 

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.

Bloodred 2014

Bloodred (aka: blood)
Note:  Expect DIFFUSED and BLOODRED to be incorrectly but synonymously used
Most Commonly used Name: Bloodred
Mode of Genetic Inheritance:Selective Variation + Recessive
Morph Type:Single recessive mutation & selective variation
Eye Color:  Black pupil & body ground colored iris

 

A few years ago, due to confusion regarding the heritability of the Bloodred’s base mutation (specifically that the namesake snakes were not red and/or diffused), the base mutation name was changed away from Bloodred – to Diffused.  The mechanics of this gene mutation barely diffuse the F1 homozygotesthrough maturity (if at all), so do not expect Diffused corns to look like Bloodreds.  It is currently believed that Bloodred corns are the product of enhancing the base mutation, Diffused via polygenetic trait modification (selective breeding) to render a red and almost pattern-less (highly diffused) corn snake.  That is not the opinion of this author, but in the absence of empirical evidence to the contrary, the best hobby and market interests are not served by published opposition to popular opinion.  In other words, I’m not in favor of changing the morph name away from the original Bloodred since the new name Diffused is equally inaccurate.  Without polygenetic modification, Diffused corns do not have a diffused appearance.

 

A brief history on Diffused mutants VS Bloodred mutants:

Initially, the corn snake gene mutation, Diffusion (formerly called Bloodred) was described as being recessively inherited, but many of the F1 generational heterozygotes exhibited some of the obvious features of the gene mutation homozygotes.  It is extremely rare for simple recessive F1 heterozygotes to exhibit ANY features of their recessively inherited genetic mutation.  For example, F1heterozygous Amel corn snakes have no markers that demonstrate a hint of their simple recessive mutation, Amel.  The paradoxical partial-exhibition of the Diffusion mutation in the heterozygotes resulted in the Diffused mutation being re-described as having codominant inheritance (codom for short), but was tagged with the descriptor, variable.  At that time, variable codom seemed an accurate and satisfactory genetic description for the radical color and pattern diversity among members of this mutation, but far too many genetic anomalies persisted. Identification of the inheritance of this mutation is once again considered simple recessive, but the Bloodred corn that most of us identify with toDAY is virtually always the aggregate of traits resulting from the Diffused (new mutation name) gene mutation PLUS polygenetic traits promoted by selectively breeding toward the highest expressions of melanin reduction, diffusion, and red color saturation.
 

 

What to expect:
As neonates, Bloodred corns are often heavily patterned (sides are generally faded or lacking typical lateral markings). Some exhibit black (or partially black) scales bordering some of the pattern blotches, and most of them have head patterns that are notably unlike those of typical corns. Most SMR Bloodreds diffuse dramatically through maturity, thereby rendering adults that are nearly devoid of head markings, side markings, (any visible dorsal markings will be very faint).  There will be NO belly checkering, but ventral coloration can be all red, all white, or red and white (no black).  Many of the early Bloodred corns in the early 1990s were overly inbred and therefore suffered poor fertility (not to mention – the progeny of many of the first generations were stubbornly lizard lovers, refusing to eat pinky mice).  Thankfully, through out-crossing in our projects to improve or change colors and patterns, Bloodreds no longer rank high in the realms of sterility or reluctance to eat rodents.   In fact, there are some seasons in which Bloodreds are among the best feeders of our corn snake neonates.
 

 

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.