Color & pattern variations in cornsnakes


	[Melanins] [Erythrins] [Patterns] [Selection] [Combos] [Oddities] [A-what-istic???]

Erythrin is responsible for the reds, oranges, and yellows on cornsnakes. There are several genes which affect the quantity or quality of the erythrins. Please note that the dark and more opaque yellow which gathers on the chin, neck, and belly of corns is not the same as the erythrins discussed here.

· Anerythrism completely removes the red pigment. As with "hypo" you will also hear "types of anerys" being used in the generic sense: meaning the removal of red pigments as opposed to a specific gene. These are the most common anerys. Some anerys, especially males, can become very light in color, and turn different shades of browns and pinks as they mature. Anerys are used in making snows, ghosts, and granites by combination with amel, hypo, and diffusion respectively.

· Charcoal is the second erythrin removing gene to be discovered. It tends to leave more neutral grays and browns, with a tendency toward lower contrast on an overall darker snake. Charcoal is most commonly used in making pewters by combining with diffusion, blizzards by combining with amel, and phantoms by combining with hypo.

· Caramel appears to remove the reds while retaining yellows, or it alters the process of red pigment production so that yellows are produced instead. Many hets for caramel show considerable influence and it is currently unknown whether the caramel mutant is codominant to its wild-type allele. This gene is used in combination with amel to make butters, hypo to make ambers, and is being combined with lava into "Topaz" and with sunkissed into "Honey" corns.

· Lavender seems to remove erythrins and also reduce melanins. This morph is highly variable in color, some ending up a light smooth borderless lavender, and others with bordered mocha-colored saddles on pink/orange pastel ground colors. Lavender is used to make Opal corns by combining with amel, and hypo lavenders are also very popular. Lava and sunkissed variations of lavender are also now being produced.

· Kastanie appears to be a form of hypoerythrism, meaning a reduction of red pigment. The hatchlings come out looking nearly anerythristic and grow up to be a chestnut-like color. Kastanie has been determined as the cause of "rosy bloods" which will now likelybe marketed as kastanie bloods. Kastanie amels have also been hatched and are being called mandarin corns.

· Golden appears to be similar to caramel in effect. This has been proven as a recessive gene but no word yet on whether it is an allele to any of the above genes.


	[Melanins] [Erythrins] [Patterns] [Selection] [Combos] [Oddities] [A-what-istic???]

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