I don't think Tim is implying that snakes’ melanophores change with exposure to UV radiation. He's referring more to color (and sometimes pattern) maturation. Just like a white-tail deer fawn is spotted, but grows up to have no spots, corns are pseudo-metamorphic. Except for seasonal color transformations in corns, the changes in color and pattern in corns are surely maturity related. A good North American example of pseudo-metamorphosis is the yellow rat snake that starts with darkly colored blotches on a gray/silver background and ends us yellow and striped at maturity. Rootbeers are hybrids and their colors and patterns are not only variable, but unpredictable, since hybridization causes looks that are atypical for either of the donor species. Some believe that bloodreds were originally wild hybrids between yellow rats and corns. Be that true or not, they are accepted as pure corn snakes, but few genetic lines of them in herpetoculture today develop the quadro-linear stripes (like yellow rats). I have one or two lines that are just a few generations removed from the original bloodreds, and most of their progeny do develop the striping. Probably 90% of all bloodreds do not.

Hence, I don't know anyone that can answer your question about TANNING in corn snakes. Epidermal melanophores in our skin are responsible for the visual effects of "tanning", so I suspect it's possible with corns also. Being mostly nocturnal in captivity, corns do not lay around soaking up the rays. I see color changes in my corns (mostly females) during the egg production season, but can't say I've seen any signs of "tanning". Strict interpretation of the word requires exposure to substantial UV radiation. Even fluorescent tubes do not emit enough radiation to facilitate transformation of melanophores. I don't know much about the lights used in tanning beds, but I think (among other things), they emit a degree of UVC radiation. I wouldn't worry about adverse effects of UV radiation from fluorescent lighting on your cage, but NEVER allow your snake to be exposed to sunlight in its cage and all corns should have a hide large enough to shelter their eyes from UV radiation. Especially albino morphs.
South Mountain Reptiles

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