Old Shop – Page 147 – SMR Archive

Diffused Kastanie 0218b

{product id=982}

44″ adult 2009 female Diffused Kastanie (aka: Rosy Bloodred) corn snake just out of brumation. She is currently eating frozen/thawed Adult mice; belly bulge is from a very large mouse she ate an hour before this picture. She brumated from October 20, 2014 to February 10, 2015. Her typical annual two clutches of eggs last year rendered a total of 26 beautiful babies. Her $275.00 price includes

Striped Ghost Bloodred 01-31-13

Each DAY at 11:00 am. ct (GMT – 5) we will post a different SMR snake being offered at a special price.

All snakes will be chosen for their rarity and/or unique beauty.

FREE U.S. SHIPPING for each Snake-of-the-Day.

toDAY’s SNAKE of the DAY (Sun. Jan 27, 2013)

{simpleproduct:id=477}

Details

#013113

Striped Ghost Bloodred

Male

d.o.h. 2011
33″ long on Jan. 26, 2013

$300.00 shipped

Comments: Superior color and size maturity. He should breed in 2013.

Striped Ghost Bloodred (no aka other than exchange of word order)
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: Selective variantion of four recessive mutations

Eye Color: Black pupil & body ground colored iris

FIRST, about Bloodred vs. Diffused:
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 – toDiffused. The mechanics of this gene mutation barely diffuse the F¹ homozygotes through 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 mutationhomozygotes. It is extremely rare for simple recessive F¹ heterozygotes to exhibit ANY features of their recessively inherited genetic mutation. For example, F¹ heterozygous 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 geneticanomalies 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 theDiffused (new mutation name) gene mutation PLUS polygenetic traits promoted by selectively breeding toward the highest expressions of melanin reduction, diffusion, and red color saturation.

Striped Ghost Bloodred:

Combining the four recessively-inherited gene mutations (Stripe, Anery, Hypo, and Bloodred/Diffused) results in this beautiful morph compound. Many begin with striped pattern showing and slowly lose some or all of that pattern through maturity. Others, retain their neonatal pattern, but regardless, the finished genetic product is beautiful AND worthy of breeding into other gene mutations.

What to expect:

As neonates, Striped Ghost Bloodred corns are often heavily patterned. Most of them demonstrate 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 Bloodred typesare among the best feeders of our corn snake neonates.

Important Note:
These images are not renderings of the actual animals being offered, (except for uniquely offered snakes found in the SURPLUSsection 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 yourSMR snake if it does not mature to be like our advertised examples.

Cayenne Fire 011813

Each DAY at 11:00 am. ct (GMT – 5) we will post a different SMR snake being offered at a special price.

All snakes will be chosen for their rarity and/or unique beauty.

FREE U.S. SHIPPING for each Snake-of-the-Day.

.{simpleproduct:id=464}

toDAY’s SNAKE of the DAY (Fri., Jan. 18, 2013)

Cayenne Fire (aka: Red Mask Amel Bloodred)

Male

d.o.h. 2011

31″ long on Jan. 18, 2013

$250.00 shipped

~~~~>

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

Butter Motley-03-11-13

Each DAY at 11:00 am. ct (GMT – 5) we will post a different SMR snake being offered at a special price.

All snakes will be chosen for their rarity and/or unique beauty.

FREE U.S. SHIPPING for each Snake-of-the-Day.

toDAY’s SNAKE of the DAY (Mon., Mar. 11, 2013)

{simpleproduct:id=522}

Details

#031113

Butter Motley

Male

d.o.h. 2012
32″ long on March 2, 2013

$120.00 shipped

Butter Motley (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Butter Motley
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Morph Type: Mutation Compound (Butter + Motley)

Eye Color: Red pupil

This compound morph results from combining the color mutations Amel + Caramel = Butter and the pattern mutation, Motley. Color and pattern are variable, but it is apparent that the Motley mutation has a beneficial color impact upon the Butter corn’s coloration, and that impact is one of enhancement. I don’t recall ever seeing Striped or Motley Butter corns that was not more deeply yellow than Butter corns without a pattern mutation.

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, so be patient. In six to 18 months, all other colors should transform to yellow. The pattern mutation, Motley demonstrates its power when combined with butter by heavily saturating and otherwise improving the yellow – compared to non-Motley Butters.

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 neonateswill mature to properly represent their respective morph. We take this responsibility very seriously, and therefore publish the guarantee that we will exchange your SMRsnake if it does not mature to be like our advertised examples.

Striped Tessera011913

Each DAY at 11:00 am. ct (GMT – 5) we will post a different SMR snake being offered at a special price.

All snakes will be chosen for their rarity and/or unique beauty.

FREE U.S. SHIPPING for each Snake-of-the-Day.

Details

{simpleproduct:id=465}

ToDAY’s SNAKE of the DAY (Sat, Jan 19, 2013)

#011913

Striped Tessera

Male

d.o.h. 2011

27″ long on January 18, 2013

$350.00 shipped

This 2011 hatchling male Striped Tessera is now 27″ long and eating frozen/thawed large fuzzy mice Both parents are Striped Tesseras and he is also possibly het Amel. If he is a Super-form (aka: a homozygote) Striped Tessera, breeding him to any type of corn will result in 100% Tessera progeny.

Details:

Striped Tessera (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Striped Tessera
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Dominant to wild-type
Morph Type: Either a Striped Tessera Heterozygote or Striped Tessera Homozygote (aka: Super-form).
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 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-crossedgeneration. 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.

stvsstte4792my11

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.

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 F²

Ultramel-HET-caramel020213

Each DAY at 11:00 am. ct (GMT – 5) we will post a different SMR snake being offered at a special price.

All snakes will be chosen for their rarity and/or unique beauty.

FREE U.S. SHIPPING for each Snake-of-the-Day.

toDAY’s SNAKE of the DAY (Sat. Feb. 2, 2013)

{simpleproduct:id=479}

Details

#020213

43” long on Feb. 1, 2013

Ultramel Het Caramel and Charcoal

Female

d.o.h. 2010

$225.00 shipped

Comments: Feeding on frozen/thawed adult mice. This 2010 female Ultramel Het for Caramel is now 43″ long. She brumated (hibernated) from October 10, 2012 to January 31, 2013 so after some fattening, she should be ready to breed in a matter of weeks.

INTERSPECIES HYBRID Details

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 (orimpure) 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.

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 Motley 010213

Each DAY at 11:00 am. ct (GMT – 5) we will post a different SMR snake being offered at a special price.

All snakes will be chosen for their rarity and/or unique beauty.

FREE U.S.SHIPPING for each Snake-of-the-Day.

ToDAY’s SNAKE of the DAY (Wed. Jan. 02, 2013)

{simpleproduct:id=449}

Details

#010213

Caramel Motley Het Amel (Butter)

Male

d.o.h. 2011
24″ long on Dec. 29, 2012

$125.00 shipped

More information about Caramel Motley Corn Snakes

Root Beer Bloodred 010313

Each DAY at 11:00 am. ct (GMT – 5) we will post a different SMR snake being offered at a special price.

All snakes will be chosen for their rarity and/or unique beauty.

FREE U.S. SHIPPING for each Snake-of-the-Day.

Details

{simpleproduct:id=450}

ToDAY’s SNAKE of the DAY (Thu., Jan. 03, 2013)

#010313

RootBeer Bloodred

Female

d.o.h. 2010
33″ long on Dec. 29, 2012
Possibly Het Amel & Anery

$200.00 shipped

Comments: Superior color and size maturity

See ROOTBEER CORN for genetic origins.

This 2010 female Root Beer Bloodred is sexually mature but needs to be brumated prior to her first breeding.

Comments: Superior color and size maturity

See ROOTBEER CORN for genetic origins.

INTERSPECIES HYBRID !

RootBeer (no aka)

Most Commonly Used Name: RootBeer or Root Beer

Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Cornsnake + Emory’s Rat Snake

Morph Type: Single recessive HYBRID Mutation

Eye Color: Dark pupil

Formerly considered an intergrade of what used to be two corn snake subspecies (Elaphe guttatus guttatus X Elaphe guttatus emoryi), Rootbeers are the final product of crossing an Emory’s Rat (aka: Great Plains Rat Snake) with a corn. Since the new taxonomic classification assigns distinct species to each (Pantherophis emoryi and Pantherophis guttatus), in herpetocultural vernacular, Rootbeers are now officially consideredhybrids. ANY progeny from Rootbeers or any corn snake that has any degree of Emory’s Rat Snake in it, is considered a HYBRID. Rootbeer hybrids are the non-albino version of the Creamsicle.

Extreme Okeetee 01-04-13

Each DAY at 11:00 am. ct (GMT – 5) we will post a different SMR snake being offered at a special price.

All snakes will be chosen for their rarity and/or unique beauty.

FREE U.S. SHIPPING for each Snake-of-the-Day.

DAY010413

toDAY’s SNAKE of the DAY (Sun. Dec 29, 2012)

{simpleproduct:id=445}

Details

toDAY’s SNAKE of the DAY (Fri. Jan. 04, 2013)

#010413

Extreme Okeetee

Male

d.o.h. 2011
30″ long on Dec. 28, 2012

$125.00 SHIPPED

Comments: Superior color and size maturity.

Details of this morph:

EXTREME OKEETEE (no aka)

Most Commonly Used Name: Extreme Okeetee
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Dominant (wild-type) + Selective Variation
Morph Type: Selective Variation of wild-type

Eye Color: Black pupil & body ground colored iris

Arguably the most famous example of a corn snake morph named for its geographic origins, the Okeetee is also considered to be the most beautiful non-mutant corn snake in the species. First popularized by Carl Kauffeld in at least two books describing his field discoveries of this beautiful and robust race of corn snake on or near the Okeetee Hunt Club in South Carolina, Okeetees have since been selectively bred for extremely bright and saturated colors. When we say locality Okeetee, we are referring to animals whose genetic origins can be traced to the Jasper County, South Carolina region. There is nothing magic about the Hunt Club that makes only animals in that area outstanding looking. Corns in other states of the Corn Snake’s range can be just as beautiful, but proportionally speaking, the corns from this region are arguably more beautiful than corns found in most other regions. Okeetees that have been selectively bred for appearance and consequently satisfy a visual hobby standard are sometimes called Okeetee morphs, but more often are called simply Okeetee corns.

Okeetees (in the hobby) are a premier example of the promotion of polygenic traits through selective breeding. By breeding together specimens with desired characteristics, through generational selection of pairing only the ones with superior target features, it doesn’t take long to render stunning examples of the morph – without the aid of gene mutations. Please, do not attempt to hunt for Okeetee corns on private property. The Okeetee Hunt Club in South Carolina expressly forbids trespassing, and it is possible to be legally prosecuted, if caught on their land without express written permission.

What to expect:

Oddly, most of the best Okeetees we produce are the least beautiful – as hatchlings. If you tossed a good Okeetee in a bucket of hatchling common corns, you’d likely not identify it until after several months of maturity. Neonates should show bold black blotch margins, but until one or two sheds, the bright ground colors are not obvious. By that time, blotch colors are beginning to show, and adult Okeetees should have clean (low color freckling) ground and blotch color zones, separated by noticeably broad, black borders. Most of the spectacular examples of this morph are so good, they are sold by other names in the hobby – and are consequently more expensive (i.e. Extreme Okeetees, Buckskin Okeetees, Banded Okeetees). Another notable feature of this morph is its robust size and feeding vigor. Okeetees (which CAN have orange on their bellies – but is relatively rare at this time) have the most spectacular black and white checkered bellies, compared to other wild-type corns.

Do not expect any hatchling/neonate Okeetee to look anything like the adults. This picture shows an adult female Extreme Okeetee with several of her newly hatched babies (no, she was not present when they hatched in the incubator). This adult looked exactly like the babies shown in this image when she was their size.

Salmon Snow Motley 010513

Each DAY at 11:00 am. ct (GMT – 5) we will post a different SMR snake being offered at a special price.

All snakes will be chosen for their rarity and/or unique beauty.

FREE U.S. SHIPPING for each Snake-of-the-Day.

toDAY’s SNAKE of the DAY (Sat. Jan. 5, 2013)

{simpleproduct:id=452}

Details

#010513

Salmon Snow Motley

Female

d.o.h. 2011

32″ long on January 3, 2013

$375.00 shipped

Comments: Superior color and size maturity.

This 32″ long male Salmon Snow Motley is the product of pairing a Salmon Snow Motley to a

normal corn that was heterozygous for Salmon Snow Motley. Judging from other products of such a pairing, he should develop more of the

Coral overtone he now exhibits.