SMR Archive – Page 194 – Posts from old SMR Website

2010 Striped Champagne Snow

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 gene mutation 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.

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

2010 Phantom – aka: Hypo Charcoal

Phantom (aka: Hypo Charcoal )
Most Commonly Used Name: Phantom
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Morph Type: Mutation Compound (Charcoal & Hypo)

Eye Color: Black pupil & body ground colored iris

This compound morph results from combining the color mutations, Charcoal and Hypo. In addition to the Hypo mutation having a paling affect on the Charcoal look, we were surprised to see that the yellow that slowly develops in many anery types from dietary retention of carotenoids – is exacerbated in Phantom mutants. I estimate that adult Phantom corns have at least twice the volume of carotenoid yellow than their non-Hypo cousins.

What to expect:
As neonates, Phantoms are just what you’d expect; pale versions of their Charcoal cousins. Like Charcoals, often, the contrast between iris and pupil is slight, sometimes rendering an all black eye that appears not to have an iris at all. Some adult Phantoms will have little or no carotenoid yellow, but most will have excessively more than most Charcoal corns.

Het Palmetto 2012

ALL 2012 Palmetto hatchlings have been sold, but we still have a few female heterozygous (aka: Het) for sale. They are $2,000.00 each. Free shipping on Het female Palmettos this year.

Palmetto (no aka)Most Commonly Used Name: Palmetto

Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive to Wild-type

Morph Type: Simple recessive mutationEye Color:

Black pupil and silver iris

First and FOREMOST, I want to publicly thank Daryl Camby, the person who made it possible for me to own this beautiful wild-caught corn snake.

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 exist and at this time, and SMR is the only place in the world where Palmetto Corns exist at this time.

PRICE ?

In 2012, we will begin selling Palmettos for $4,000.00 USD each, but only females will be offered. Heterozygous females will begin selling in 2012 for $2,000.00 USD each and no males of any color will be sold until 2015, or later. This is in an effort to break the corn snake market trend of over-producing rare morphs, only to have their market values plummet from supplies that exceed demand. In 2011, the patriarch male was bred to three females only (normal corns Het for Palmetto), so you can see that I’m not on a mission to produce buckets of Palmettos in the coming years. My promise to those who invest in this unique morph is that I will not be the first (or second – or third) to lower their price. You may count on SMR holding the $4,000.00 price LONGER than other future producers. Regarding how to reserve one/some for the 2012 season, here is a link to thePalmetto Reservation details. At the time of that publication, we will begin managing a chronological list of reservations for the 2012 hatching season, per the terms of this publication.

Update – July 6, 2011 :
After 62 DAYs of incubation at an average (and nearly constant) 82.4^o F. the first captive-produced Palmetto was born (emerged from her egg) toDAY – July 6, 2011, at 6:25 pm, cdt. She spans 10.6″ in length and tips the scales at a whopping 6 grams (later weighed at 5 greams – after yolk digestion). It’s difficult to say how much like her wild-caught father she will be at maturity, but her general appearance is just what I’d imagine her father to have been when he was her age. Five of the 13 eggs in her brood yielded Palmettos, and the rest are visual normals. All five Palmettos are virtual clones of each other, possessing nearly the same disbursement of color flecking seen on their father, but of course, each is unique regarding color flecking locations – not unlike unique fingerprints on humans. We’re naturally pleased to announce that Palmettos are officially gene mutants that are recessively inherited. We’ll post more pictures as our Palmetto family grows.

How the Palmetto got its name:
A perfectly natural trend exists in herpetoculture toDAY to sometimes hastily assign hopefully unique names to newly-discovered mutations 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 the bulk 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 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 would be perfect – and some that could be adequate – but most were already assigned to other corn snake morphs. Keeping in mind that this particular snake may look less like a chosen namesake than its descendants, I was dubious about using a color, pattern, or familiar and commonly recognizable namesake. Therefore, when Daryl approached me with the idea of dumping the visual namesake convention – in favor of a name that did not require a mental or visual association – I thanked him for naming the Palmetto Corn for me. Of course, the name 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, Don?
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 theLeucistic Rat Snake that lacks any color or pattern resemblance to its species phenotype, the color and pattern of the Palmetto looks nothing like its nominate form. Other than telling you that this snake was viewed by many corn snake keepers and breeders at one or more reptile shows prior to my acquisition, 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 SC, all Rat Snake references hereafter in the Palmetto morph discussion refer collectively to Black Rats and Yellow Rats – unless otherwise noted.

The 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 (adult pictured above). The eyes certainly are like most leucistic serpent mutants, as are 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 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:

January 17, 2021January 17, 2021Morphs

Key Corn

Key (aka: Key’s, Rosy Rat)
Most Commonly Used Name: Key Corn
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Locality Wild Type
Morph Type: Wild Type

Eye Color: Black pupil & body ground colored iris

An insular race of corns sometimes known by their original name, Rosy Rats, are a generally pale race of wild-type corns that surely owe their general appearance to the fact that they are somewhat genetically isolated from mainland forms of their corn snake species, Pantherophis guttatus. The latest scientific studies have demonstrated that they are not a separate subspecies and therefore, their old and temporary scientific name, Elaphe guttata rosacea, does not apply. I suspect that if Man allows this race of corns to thrive on the keys, it may one DAY exhibit unique DNA distinction that will warrant sub-specific taxonomic status. Expect captive Key Corn lines to be much paler with much less black than most of their wild counterparts. If you randomly field collected most of the Keys of Florida, the variation of color themes and volume of black pigmentation would be great.

Several breeders (myself included) have performed breeding trials to verify that Terrazzos are not allelic to other gene mutations. Results were somewhat mixed – probably because people have been breeding mutations into Key Corns for so many years – but the general consensus is that most Key Corns are not allelic to current mutations. I’ve personally bred Key Corns to Diffused (aka: bloodreds) and all the babies were phenotypes for Diffused mutants. Many more breeding trials are in order. Partly because of the diversity between many of the different Key habitants (including some South Dade County, Florida, corns that satisfy the visual Key Corn standard.

Terrazzos have the beautiful tan and gray color scheme common to many of the middle-to-lower Keys Corns, and in typical Keys Corn fashion, their bellies are notably unlike bellies of mainland corns. Rarely is even one black scale found on these mutants, and the bellies are usually completely devoid of pattern or other colors. Some will have random patches of color on their bellies, but not black (this is not to say we won’t someDAY see black on Terrazzos – perhaps via out-crossing them with other mutations). Terrazzos are a lean race of corns, some reaching the length of typical mainland corns, but rarely the girth of common corns.

Note: Not all Key Corns are devoid of black. Many have black in their pattern AND on their bellies, but in that this is mostly due to captive selective breeding of the ones with the least melanin, don’t expect them to exemplify wild Key Corns. As hatchlings, they can have considerably more black than you’d expect and their color contrast between markings and ground color zones can be high. However, as adults, most will have very little (or no) black anywhere on their bodies. Most adult Key Corns in the hobby toDAY have bellies that lack black pigmentation, but when it is present, it’s usually relegated to the first third of the belly. After that, they have variations of pattern between None and two or three tone speckling. In that we have been out-crossing them to popular morphs and mutations in captivity, patterns and colors can be diverse, but the basic standard points to mostly tan individuals.

What to expect:

Hatchling Key Corns are dark-colored when compared to their adult counterparts, and at a glance you would not suspect they would mature to look so much like a Hypo mutant. Except for pattern, some adults have colors similar to the most hypomelanistic HYPO mutants (virtually devoid of black). I have bred Keys Corns to Hypo mutants and re-produced Hypo mutants, but that does not always happen. It would be totally understandable that someone thought the Keys Corn they had was a Hypo mutant, and bred it to a Hypo mutant – thereby infusing the Hypo mutation into that family line. Then, there is the visual confusion; is that a Hypo mutant or a Key Corn? The answer to that question is not even easily answered by breeding trials. Until we discover the distinction between those two phenotypes, it may always be confusing, but eventually, the confusion will be solved by the Hypo mutation being in many/most Key Corns. Charles Pritzel has pioneered microscopic studies that may be the very tool we need to distinguish between the hypomelanistic types.

2010 Diffused

Diffused (aka: bloodred – see details below)
Note: Expect DIFFUSED and BLOODRED to be used synonymously
Most Commonly mis-used Name: Bloodred See details below
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Morph Type: Single Recessive Mutation

Eye Color: Black pupil & body ground colored iris

If you expected to see beautifully diffused corns with saturated red/rust/mahogany colors, click here ^_____> Bloodred Corn Snake to see the enhanced version of this color mutation.

A few years ago, due to confusion regarding the heritability of the Bloodred’s base mutation (namely 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 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 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 incorrect. Without polygenetic modification, Diffused corns are not diffused.

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, 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 codominant – (codom for short) in heritable function, 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 gene mutation PLUS polygenetic traits promoted by selectively breeding toward the highest expressions of pattern reduction, diffusion, and red color saturation.

What to expect:
As neonates, Diffused corns are often heavily patterned, most of them exhibiting black (or partially black) scales bordering some of the pattern blotches, and most of them have some degree of black belly checkering (something I have NEVER seen on good Bloodreds). Head patterns are highly variable, but exactly like wild-type corns.

Some Diffused corns may exhibit slight diffusion throughout maturation, but unlike their prestigious BLOODRED cousins, every Diffused adult I’ve seen displayed prominent markings (head, body, and belly). Many of the early Diffused corns over ten years ago 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, Diffused and Bloodred corns no longer rank high in either of those categories; low ferility or reluctance to eat rodents. In fact, there are some seasons in which Diffused and Bloodred corns are among the best feeding of our corn snake neonates.

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.

unk081313

S O L D

This 2011 female has unknown hets (around here, she has to be het for something relatively cool) because her ID fell off her cage when she was young. She is 36″ long and now eating frozen/thawed adult mice. If nobody buys her, she will be bred to some male here at SMR in 2014, just to start the proces of discovering what genes she’s hiding from us. $135.00 includes U.S. FedEx Overnight shipping to the lower 48 contiguous United States.

Sunglow13

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.

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.

AMELanistic12

Amelanistic (aka: albino, amel)
Most Commonly Used Name: Amel (hobby abbreviation for Amelanistic)
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Morph Type: Single Recessive Mutation

Eye Color: Red pupil

Sometimes less accurately called albino or red albino, the Amel corn gets its morph name from the Latin, amelanistic, meaning no melanin (black pigment). Amelanistic is a better name than albino for this genetic mutation, since unlike mammals that have just one type of color rendering cell (melanosome) the general appearance of snakes is the visual product of more than one color pigment. Mammals lacking melanin are befitting the name albino since they are usually white and pattern-less in the absence of their only color pigment; melanin (i.e. rabbits, deer, mice). Albino humans usually have pink skin, pink eyes, and white hair. Most color in non-albino mammals is the result of various chemical impacts that alter the appearance of melanin (i.e. blue eyes or red hair). In most snakes, the absence of melanin alters the expression of cells that previously contained melanin, usually resulting in general enhancement of the remaining colors. Therefore, if you hear someone say “albino corn snake”, they are referring to the Amel corn, which is very colorful — instead of lacking all color. White corns are virtually always the expression of two color mutations that have essentially cancelled each other out. A popular example is the Blizzard Morph; (Amel + Charcoal = Blizzard) Another example of a white corn snake has not yet been demonstrated in this species, the Leucistic mutation. To date, non-HYBRID corns have never existed in a Leucistic form, but the hybridization of Leucistic Texas Rat Snakes with corns has been done by snake breeders for many years. Thankfully, the final HYBRID products of those crosses have not yet entered mainstream corn snake herpetoculture.

The amel mutation is elemental in many compound corn snake morphs, and since many of the other color and pattern mutations can alter the general coloration of amel corns, the one all Amel types of corns have in common is their complete absence of black over their entire bodies. The most popular selective variations of the amel mutation include the Candy Cane , Reverse Okeetee, Fluorescent, and Sunglow. They are all polygenic variants of the base mutation, amel. Dark areas may be seen in some of the eyes of amel types, but this is not melanin. It is tissue in the eyes that does not reflect light, and therefore only appears to be black.

What to expect:

Both adults and neonates are highly variable, spanning the color spectrum from light orange to dark red. Pattern to ground color contrast is likewise highly variable, from heavily color-saturated markings against a pale orange or white ground field, to a relatively low pattern/ground contrast. Borders around markings range from appearing to have none – to relatively broad blotch margins of pale white or stark white. In some hatchlings the areas where you expect to see white can be somewhat clear or lavender in color, but they will transform to white with age.

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.

2010 Fire – aka: Amel Bloodred

Fire (aka: Amel Bloodred, Amel blood, Diffused Amel )
Most Commonly Used Name: Fire
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Recessive
Morph Type: Mutation Compound (Amel + Diffused)

Eye Color: Red pupil

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

This compound morph results from combining the color mutation, Amel with the pattern mutation Diffused. As with most morph compounds that include the Diffused mutation, the Fire mutation‘s color affect is generally more diffused than a typical Amel corn, but nothing compared to Cayenne Fire mutants that possess the additional Red Mask mutation. Except for some of the color and pattern variants of this mutation compound, Fires arguably have much less color contrast than typical Amels and generally redder coloration. Expect dramatically reduced white margins, compared to most non-pattern Amel type mutants.

What to expect:
Many Fire hatchlings look like little more than regular Amel Corns, but the head should have some form of Bloodred head pattern, and the belly will be devoid of classic Amel Corn snake white & off-white checkering. The belly pattern can have colors – and even pattern – but not organized checkering. From a short distance, adults appear to be completely red or red/orange, but upon closer examination, most have a faint blotch pattern, and some will have minute traces of white on the scales around the posterior-most dorsal markings.

2010-Pied-sided Bloodred – low

Pied-sided Bloodred (aka: p/s bloodreds)

Low White Expression
Note: Expect DIFFUSED and BLOODRED to be incorrectly but synonymously used in the hobby
Most Commonly used Name: Pied-sided Bloodred
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Selective Variation + Recessive
Morph Type: Single recessive mutation & selective variation

Eye Color: Black pupil & body ground colored iris

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

At this time, this author suspects that P/S Bloodreds owe their atypical white lateral and facial markings to polygenetic traits versus simple recessive mutation. It is sometimes difficult to determine the inheritance of a trait or mutation when expression of the atypical feature is highly variable. In other words, are the Bloodred siblings of P/S Bloodreds not P/S Bloodreds OR are they P/S Bloodred mutants that are at the lowest end of the 0-to-10 scale for white expression? When proving the mode of inheritance via evaluation of Mendelian Phenotype Proportions in a single brood of snakes, visual expression is crucial. Hence, if the expression of white in this morph can be so extremely variable, when citing the ratio of visual mutants compared to visual non mutants, the very description of inheritance can be in doubt. I therefore honestly don’t know if P/S Bloodreds owe their distinctive pied-sided white appearance to a recessive mutation OR polygenic trait modifications.

Aside from the random lateral white feature that is obvious in most members of this morph – compared to standard Bloodreds – is the extreme diffusion – even if they don’t demonstrate any of the randomly distributed white patches on the sides. On most – even in the absence of lateral white patches – there is an obvious line of demarcation between the dorsal and lateral pattern fields – just above the half-way point on the sides (dorso–laterally). This stark break line between dorsal and lateral markings also begs questions about the lateral white being a mutation OR variable expression of polygenetics.

What to expect:

As neonates, P/S 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. Like most SMR Bloodreds, P/S 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, like virtually all Bloodreds, P/S Bloodreds do not 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.

The amount and random distribution of white that will be on Low White Expression members of this morph are difficult to quantify. As more are produced, the percentage of white on the three classes of this morph (Low white, Medium white, and High white) will be possible to grade. Virtually all P/S Bloodreds randomly demonstrate the shocking white blotches only on the lower sides of their bodies – predominantly in the first half of their bodies. Some will have one (or a few) white scales (or partially white scales) on their faces. It is still rare for a SMR P/S Bloodred to have white on the sides that is disjunct to the belly white (not touching the belly color field).