Extreme Okeetee 03-09-13s

 DAY030913 
#030913
Extreme Okeetee
Female
d.o.h. 2011
35″ long on Mar. 09, 2013
 

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.
 
 
okex007
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.

 

 

Striped Ghost Bloodred 01-31-13s

DAY013113
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
#013113
Striped Ghost Bloodred
Male
d.o.h. 2011
33″ long on Jan. 26, 2013
 

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.

 

Striped Champagne 013013s

 

 
DAY013013

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
#013013
Striped Champagne
Male
d.o.h. 2010
30″ long on Jan. 26, 2013
 
 

Striped Champagne Snow (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Striped Champagne Snow
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive & Dominant
Morph Type: Mutation Compound ( Anery & Amel) + Dominant Coral Mutation (?Strawberry?)

Before describing Champagne Corns, first, a brief history on the Coral Snow.
Back in the 1980s when corn snake herpetoculture was in its infancy, Snow corns that had a pink or coral cast were called Coral Snows. Early in Corn Snake Herpetoculture, Snow corns were not as variable in color as they are toDAY.  At the time when pink/coral ones were dubbed Coral Snows, it was only common to see snows in two tones of white; crisp white (aka: bone white Snows), or Coral.  Back then, prediction of the coral coloration was hit-and-miss (some would start out with a blush of pink, but turn white on white) so in the absence of genetic data to explain the origin of the pink and/or coral colors, the name Coral became somewhat obscure from the hobby for many years.  After that era, Jim Stelpflug at Southwest Wisconsin Reptiles was one of the first to predictably reproduce coral colored snows, and even though pinkish snows were still seen in the hobby, Jim was reliably reproducing them – and was even able to intensify the coral coloration in most. At that time, we mistakenly believed the genemutation responsible for pink or coral colored snows was the result of Snow corns that also possessed the Hypo A mutation.  While some pink or coral colored Snows that were also Hypo mutants DID show a blush of pink, their pink cast rarely intensified to be remarkable in appearance, as is the case with Coral Snow Mutants of toDAY.  Pink and Green Snows were not rare back then, and some of those demonstrated deeply saturated pink coloration.  Again, the origin of that phenotype was (and to an extent, still is) poorly understood.  In so much as most of the early Coral Snows originated from Jim Stelpflug at SWR (Southwest Wisconsin Reptiles), it appeared obvious that some mutation he had in his genetic inventory was causing his to be more colorful than others.  The exaggerated pink/coral coloration is now believed by some to be the demonstration of the dominant-type mutation (Strawberry) that was also discovered/developed by Jim Stelpflug.  This is believed to be THE color mutation responsible for the rich colors, if not ONE OF such mutations.  I have not personally had reproductive results to validate this theory, and in a hobby that has so very many hidden mutations, perhaps Strawberry is just one of such mutations to cause such colors? Breeding trials are still ongoing in discovering more about this interesting (if not mysterious) mutation.  It is not mysterious in terms of inheritance, but in that some non-Strawberry corns can exhibit similar colors – without being Coral/Strawberry mutants.  It is not a given that every corn snake displaying inordinate amounts of pink or coral is a Strawberry mutant, but so far, breeding trials between the three most notable Coral Snow types (Salmon, Champagne, and Neon) have demonstrated that they are all at least elementally allelic (breeding any combintion of the three morphs renders Snow corns that have extreme saturation of pink, coral, or both).  Hence, there may be other gene mutations or gene modifiers involved in one or all of those morphs, but they at least share the same mutational foundation that causes them to look remarkably pink/coral – unlike classic white-on-white Snows.
 

The general conclusion in the corn snake industry at this time is that any Snow corn that is also a Strawberry Mutant (thereby exhibiting a color predominance of pink and/or coral) is a Coral Snow.  Any additional refrence to familial origins (i.e. Salmon, Champagne, or Neon) is merely a lineage descriptor that may prove valuable if and when it is determined that one or more of those bloodlines actually possesses additional mutations, or strongly influencing polygenic traits.

 

What to expect:
Champagne snows are thought to owe their general pink/coral coloration to a form of dominant mutation we categorically call CORAL, but breeding trials are ongoing to explain other mutations and/or polygenic traits render the finished product.  The actual gene thought to influence the pink/coral coloration is the Strawberry Mutation, explained in the paragraph above.  I use the name CHAMPAGNE SNOW and STRIPED CHAMPAGNE SNOW interchangeably because the original Champagne Snows were also Striped-type mutants.  Since what causes them to have the color they do is actually the same gene as what causes other Coral-type Snows (Neons, Salmons, etc.) I only use the name Champagne when referring to the Striped-type pattern snow mutants.  I say “striped-type” because a characteristic of MOST Champagne Snow mutants at this time is the somewhat unrecognizable Striped/Motley type pattern.  It is often difficult to tell if the pattern is Stripe or Striped Motley.  Usually, they display a bit of both.  Hence, Striped Champagne Snows may sometimes actually be Striped Motley Champagne Snows.  I have had limited success in cleaning up the pattern in this morph – to render classic stripes – but they’re virtually always broken up by “tweener” markings (markings that are neither wild-type, Striped, or Motley).  Often the “tweener” markings take the form of ovals, rectangles, bowties, and so on.  Like virtually all Snow corns, expect carotenoid yellow to manifest throughout maturity.

Buckskin Okeetee 03-16-13s

 
DAY031613
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
#031613
Buckskin Okeetee
Female
d.o.h. 2010
37″ long on March 16, 2013
 

Comments: Superior color and size maturity.

The Buckskin Okeetees are the result of selective breeding toward the obvious tan ground colors that accentuate the red markings.  This female emerged from brumation on March 10th, 2013 after 10.5 weeks of cold dormancy.  

Morph Details

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

 

The Buckskin Okeetee is another example of the promotion of polygenic traits through selective breeding.  By breeding together specimens with an atypically tan ground coloration, through generational selection of pairing only the ones with the most buckskin ground coloration, we are now producing beautiful Okeetees with pale brown or tan ground colors.  Of course, this means that no mutations are involved, since instead, changes are made through selective breeding via changes in non-mutant gene interactions.

 

What to expect:
In both neonates and adults, the ground color should be obviously pale by comparison to typical Okeetees.   Note that neonate Okeetees of any persuasion are initially disappointing, as all their colors are drab through much of their youth.  Colors will change with maturity, but always get richer and more saturated through maturity.  As it is with most relatively new morphs, we don’t yet know what potential variation exists in Buckskin Okeetees, but the obvious target should have clean blotch and ground colors with little or no stippling or speckling that is often seen in the ground color zones of most non-mutant corns, heavy black blotch margins, buckskin-colored ground color zones, and richly saturated red blotches.
 
okex007
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.

 

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.

 

Tessera 02-20-13s

 

DAY022013

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
#022013
Tessera from Tessera parents
Female
d.o.h. 2010
34″ long on Feb. 20, 2013
 
This 34″ long female Tessera is from a Tessera to Tessera pairing.  Therefore, it is possible that she could be a homozygote (aka: Super-Form).  When Super-Form Tesseras are bred to ANY other corn snake, 100% of the progeny will be Tesseras (plus whatever other mutations they commonly share but hide).  This one is 50% possibly het for Amel and Caramel.  She was brumated from November 4th last year to February 15, 2013.  She is currently eating one frozen/thawed hopper to small adult mouse each week.  

 

More about Tessera mutants ~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

 
Tessera (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Tessera
Mode of Genetic Inheritance:Dominant
MorphType: Dominant to Wild-Type
Eye Color: BLACK pupil and ground-color matching 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-crossed generation.  The results of pairing an Tessera homozygote with ANY corn snake (other than a Tessera-type) will render 100% Tessera mutants.
 
Anery Tesseras are virtually identical to exceptionally patterned Anery Striped 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 Anery Tessera to a Anery, both Anerys and Anery 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 don’t see any hybrid markers, since the collateral sibling features to which I refer are – so far – in the realm of improving existing corn snake features (i.e. some non-Tesseras have better, brighter, cleaner, and/or more consistent colors and markings).
  
 
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.

te01110953-042411v
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.

 

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?
 
 
 

Sunglow 050313

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.
DAY050313
 ToDAY’s SNAKE of the DAY (Fri., May 3, 2013)

{simpleproduct:id=626}

Details

 
#050313
Sunglow
Female
d.o.h. 2010
30″ long on May 1, 2013
$125.00 shipped

More information about Sunglow Corn Snakes

This 30″ long female Sunglow corn is eating frozen/thawed fuzzy mice.

 

Sunglow (no aka)

Most Commonly Used Name: Sunglow

Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive + Selective Variant

Morph Type: Single Recessive Mutation

Eye Color: Red pupil

 

Sunglow corn snakes are the products of selectively breeding Amel corns toward the goal of intensifying the red/orange coloration and eliminating the white blotch borders.  Most have some white scales, but are generally two shades of the Amel color theme.

 

What to expect:
As hatchlings, they essentially appear to be typical Amel corns, with the exception of having little or no white on the borders between blotches and ground color zones.  Some Sunglow corns actually lose some of that white through maturation.  While we do not guarantee the extra gene mutation, we began our Sunglow line with Hypo corns, since our Hypos have such little black margins around the markings (which of course, translated to low white volume around the blotches of the Amel mutants in the line). Expect deeply saturated orange coloration and very little (if any) white scales between markings and ground color zones.  

 

 

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.

Opal 05-02-13

 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.

DAY050213

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

{simpleproduct:id=625}

 

 
#050213
Opal
Female
d.o.h. 2011
28″ long on May. 01, 2013
$135.00 SHIPPED

Comments:  The Opal mutant is the combination of the two mutants, Lavender and Amel.  This 2011 male is eating frozen/thawed fuzzy mice.  
 
Opal (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Opal
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Mutation Compound: Double Recessive – Lavender & Amel
Eye Color: Red pupil

Opal corns are the double recessive compound of the two color mutations, Lavender and Amel.  Many Opal corns don’t look very different from ordinary Snow corns, but some are what we call bi-colors, showing an orange or coral or pink ground color between dorsal pattern blotches.  There is usually no way to determine which neonates will mature to be bi-colors, but most of ours mature to have such colors.  

 
What to expect:
Hatchling opals are easily confused as Snow corns, and even the ones that will mature to be bi-colored will often look exactly like Snows.  Most of the ones that mature to be bi-colored are actually Hypo Opals, but without knowing that for certain, we don’t charge more for those.  If we know they are actually triple homozygous individuals (Hypo Opals), we do charge slightly more, but those prices will be published under the compound morph name, Hypo Opals if/when we have them.  Other than making the color bi-colorism more obvious, the extra mutation does not make them overly distinctive from those without the hypo mutation.
 

General 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.

 
 

Sunglow Motley13

NOW READY FOR SHIPPING
 
 
Sunglow Motley (aka: Sun Motley)
Most Commonly Used Name: Sunglow Motley
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive + Selective Variant
Morph Type: Selective Variant of Recessive Compound (Amel + Motley) 
Eye Color: Red pupil
 

Many generations were spent in refining the beauty of the Sunglow Motley.  Their genetic mutation is officially Amel Motley, but they have been selectively bred toward the goal of deeply saturated red coloration and classically orderly Motley pattern.  For years, we were helpless to explain why the colors in this line were so deeply saturated and why they were redder than other genetic lines.  In 2009, one of our friends that wondered the same and conducted breeding trials to determine what caused the intense colors.  She concludes that SMR Sunglow Motleys possess the added mutation of what is sometimes referred to as Red Mask or Red Factor.  It is allegedly inherited in dominant fashion (it is a recently discovered mutation and is still poorly understood).  Once I validate her genetic inheritance findings, the price of Sunglow Motleys will increase, since they will undoubtedly become powerful genetic tools in deepening and saturating reds in other corn snake morphs.

 

Some people mistakenly think that if a Motley has orderly and consistent circles down the back, it’s a Hurricane Motley.  Below is a demonstration of duistuinction between a Hurricane Amel Motley and a Sunglow Motley.

hurricane112e-300

 
What to expect:
Sunglow Motley are one of a handful of corn snake morphs that change their appearance very little from hatchling to adult.  Expect neonate Sunglow Motleys to be intensely colored, and while the color transition is fractionally that of other mutations, some saturation of color will occur through maturation.

 

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

Motley 2014

Motley (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Motley
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Morph Type: Single Recessive Mutation
Eye Color: Black pupil & body ground colored iris
 

The first description of this corn snake pattern mutation was published by the late Dr. H. Bernard Bechtel in the 1980s.  His breeding trials demonstrated the heritability of this mutation to be simple recessive.  The distinguishing feature of those is belly checkering.  Good Motleys have an orderly and contiguous pattern of spots down the dorsum that represent spaces in what appears to be a continuous, wide stripe of color running from the neck tail-ward.  The size, shape, location, organization, and number of circular pattern interruptions on the back define the grade of individuals, but until recently, the one pattern distinction we could rely upon was that of having no checkers on their belly.  Lately, we’re seeing Motleys with some black checkering, but it’s random and sparse.  I suspect that one DAY we’ll see Motleys with quite a bit of belly checkering.  In fact, certain genetic compounds of Motley have somewhat reliable belly markings (i.e. Sunglow Motley and Lavender Motley).

 
 
What to expect:
Thankfully, there is little change (if any) in the markings from hatchling to adult, but one characteristic impossible not to notice is that of diffusion of pattern and color throughout maturity.  This essentially does change the pattern appearance, and it certainly does have interesting impacts on color compounds of Motley.  Not unlike the “Diffused” mutation (aka: Bloodred) that diffuses color and pattern, Motleys virtually always enhance any other color or pattern mutation with which they have genetic union.  Do not expect contiguous and orderly dorsal patterning, as Motleys with the best patterns are still in a minority in this morph.  BTW, they are rare, but some non-mutant corns have dorsal pattern that is very similar to Motleys, but still a dependable distinguishing feature is the belly.  If a Motley-looking corn has a busily checkered belly, it should not be a Motley mutant.
 
 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Sunkissed Motley – 13

Sunkissed Motley (no aka)
Most Commonly Used Name: Sunkissed Motley
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Morph Type: Two Single Recessive Mutations
Eye Color:  Black pupil & body ground colored iris

 

Adding the recessive gene mutation, Motley to Sunkissed renders just what the name implies; Sunkissed Motley.   The main difference between most colored Motleys and the Sunkissed Motley is the seemingly distorted Motley pattern.  That is to say, the motley pattern is not very orderly on Sunkissed Motleys and in addition, the belly often shows some random and disorderly checkering.  99%+ of all Motleys have NO belly checkering so seeing it on these (and a scant few other Motley color compounds) is rare.  Obviously, Sunkissed has a collateral impact on other color and pattern mutations.  

 

What to expect:
As neonates, they are fairly colorful and most of them keep and intensify that orange coloration.  Many of the adults I’ve owned and received are nearly as orange as a Florida Orange (the citric fruit).  Some of mine actually have yellow inside some of their markings, separated from the ground color zones by deep black markings.  Most of the blotch marginal pattern only covers half of one scale each, rendering the vision of faint or pixelated pattern outlines outlines.  The head pattern on most is difficult to explain, so we’ll just say it’s “un-cornly” – but tasteful.  Some may be almost entirely Okeetee looking (partly because the mutation was discovered in Okeetees and partly because we’re infusing the gene into so many other genes, Okeetees are surely in the mix).  Some truly befit the mis-spelled namesake; a popular Orange Juice Type beverage.  Okay, now the bad news.  Most breeders hesitate to mention the scratch on the side of the new car you’re buying, but the only thing most Sunkissed mutants have in common (other than their beauty and genetic potential when bred to other mutants) is low regard for human beings.  We have a couple here that are predictable and “human friendly”, but more than 85% of all Sunkissed mutants rarely tolerate handling by humans.  I see that trait somewhat diluted when we outcross them to other mutants, but it would be wrong not to warn you that most Sunkissed corns are not the pets you’d freely hand to the kids. 

 

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.