Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all,

So often I read the posts here and see compliments on such-and-such a trait on different snake pix.

As a newbie, all I see is a red snake, an orange snake, a stripey snake, etc...

Can anyone post pix that compare "good" traits vs "not so good" traits? For instance, what does a prize-winning Reverse Okeetee look like vs something you would pick up cheap at a show? What about a "hold back" Abbotts vs something you'd sell to Petco?

Just trying to get up to speed on my "Snake Appreciction 101" term paper.

THX.

Well you'd need to look at what makes an Abbott's an Abbott's. That would be bright red and orange coloration and thick black borders. Therefore a "holdback" would have exceptionally bright coloration and/or thicker than the average (for an Abbott's) black borders.

Rarity is one "prize winning" trait. If it's the only one (color morph, pattern, etc.) people will like it, because those that have been breeding snakes will appreciate its uniqueness - that something new has been created via selective breeding.

Color is another "prize winning" characteristic. Breeders shoot for jet black rather than dark brown, bright white rather than off-white, yellow rather than cream. One of the goals of selective breeding is the refinement of color. The more "extreme" the color, the better. Solid color is "better" than a mottled mix of color.

In addition to this, there's pattern. Uniformity is key here. A clean, evenly striped corn will find more fans that unevenly striped or broken-striped examples. The same could be said for zigzag and banded corns.

These are three keys that breeders strive to produce to "one up" each other: rarity, color and pattern.

CSG

>>Hello all,
>>
>>So often I read the posts here and see compliments on such-and-such a trait on different snake pix.
>>
>>As a newbie, all I see is a red snake, an orange snake, a stripey snake, etc...
>>
>>Can anyone post pix that compare "good" traits vs "not so good" traits? For instance, what does a prize-winning Reverse Okeetee look like vs something you would pick up cheap at a show? What about a "hold back" Abbotts vs something you'd sell to Petco?
>>
>>Just trying to get up to speed on my "Snake Appreciction 101" term paper.
>>
>>THX.
>>
>>
>>
To me these two pictures represent blue ribbon reverse okeetee and okeetee

The reverse is one of Tim's (Tim Spuckler) reverse okeetees
and the okeetee is one of Jeff's (Jeff Cochran)Abbotts
>>
The reverse has bright contrasting colors with excellent thick white borders while the okeetee has bright rich colors with excellent black borders.
>

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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

_____

Be carefull Jimmy. That abbott is about to explode!
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.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
.1 MO Locale Black Ratsnake "Molly" (Flogging Molly)

"Have you ever tried simply turning off the T.V., sitting down with your kids... and hitting them?"