Different colours

In addition to the considerable natural variation in appearance present between and within the subspecies of corn snakes, there are also several specific mutations affecting pigmentation and pattern that are selectively bred in captivity and that are popular alternatives to 'normal' corn snakes. These heritable traits include the following.

AMELANISM   These animals are almost totally lacking  the black/brown pigment melanin. Only a     trace remains on the edges of the irisses of the eyes, which are otherwise red. These  are more commonly referred to as 'albino' or 'red albino' cornsnake (also knows as missing black variant) This simple recessive genetic trait is the most popular and widely available corn snake mutation

ANERYTHRISM  These animals are the complement of the amelanistic in that they have greys.
browns and black but lack red and orange. They are often referred to as 'black' or 'black albino' corn snake (also known as missing red variant).Anerythristic corn snakes occur in the wild as a prominent minority of certain Florida populations.The anerythristic trait is caused by a recessive mutation.

HYPOMELANISM These animals have a greatly reduced amount of melanin, but which are not lacking it completely. They pupils are black like normal animals. They vary from looking like particularly bright, attractive normal corn snakes to looking close to being a black-eyed amelanistic/ This trait is caused by a single recessive mutation

SNOW The name given to the whitish corn snakes that combine the amelanistic and anerythristic mutations

GHOST The name given to the tannish or pinkish animals that result from the combination for hypomelanism and anerythrism.

MIAMI PHASE refers to the handsome corn snake with red orange blotches on a grey background that are especially prevalint around Miami, Florida

OKEETEE This is a rather abused name that is often used to refer to corn snakes that have a considerable amount of orange in their ground colour. The name originates from a hunting plantation in South Carolina reputed to have particularly attractive corn snakes

CREAMSICLE The amelanistic trait crossed into the Elaphe Guttata Emoryi subspecies (see introductionpage). Paler orange than other amelanistic corn snakes

BLOODRED Blood Red corns (also simply called blood corns) as adults are nearly patternless dark orange. The ventral checkerred pattern is missing, replaced by irregular orange markings. The lack of ventral checks is a simple recessive trait, but the colouration is more complex in its inheritance.

MOTLEY The term coined to describe a mutation that produces irregular blotches that are often connected with one another. Additionally, the checkered ventral pattern is absent. The motley trait is caused by a recessive mutations. This pattern is also in amelanistic, anerythristic and snow mutations.

STRIPED Corn snakes that have their dorsal blotches replaced by four darkish stripes that run the length of the body. As in motley cornsnakes, the ventral pattern is missing. This is another recessively inherrited trait. This pattern is also in amelanistics, anerythristic and snow mutations

ZIGZAG An inherited trait that causes a variable tendency for the dorsal blotches to be connected to eachother in a zigzag fashion. Probably caused by a recessive mutation.

AMELANISTIC corn snake