Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The reason I ask is that all of the WC adult corns I have seen display the 4 dusky stripes prominently, enough so the entire snake is an overall dusky tan. Meanwhile, most of the adult CB (I have seen) lack the stripes or have only slight development of the duskyness.

Is this what we would call a suntan? Does my observation hold true for everyone? Could it be regional bias (East Tennessee)? Or maybe I just don't get out enough!

Just Basking,

John D

(pun intended)

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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.1 Eastern Kingsnakes

Corn snakes gain dark pigment as they age. This doesn't happen in captive bred albinos, snows, etc., because they don't have dark pigment.

I have a bloodred and a rootbeer (which I produced myself) which have both gained striping as they've aged. They are both five years old.

The top photo is of my rootbeer at age 2. The bottom photo I took today (she is in shed). In addition to striping, many non-albino morphs get more muted in coloration after hiiting their "color prime" at 2-3 years old.

Tim

Third Eye

Thanks Tim!

Guess I do need to get out more often...

JPD
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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.1 Eastern Kingsnakes

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

You mentioned that you produced these snakes yourself?

What are you het for?

.

Weren't you telling me that you were a "proven breeder" when we were at EBV a couple of years ago?

I just sayin'.....

Third Eye

I use to breed giant day geckos for a short period. I sold 2 to a friend. He bought a 10% UVB bulb for the day geckos that do require UV light, and of course the middle of the UVB spectrum.

in 2 months or so both geckos were "sun burned". Those are his words. I'm not sure if that is technically correct. But I think it is a clear example of to much of anything can be bad. It took many sheds to gain make their looks.

Although those lizards require it, and they probable see stronger UVB and UVA in the wild, they are also not confined to a tiny tank in captivity. In the wild herps can go in and out of sunlight as they please for the most part. But since only a few snakes have been "suspected" (covering thine arse there) of requiring UV, why use a UVB on a snake?

Tanning in the wild? I'll keep my personal interest on that topic to woman on the beach!

P.S. It's somewhat related, and not to many sun burnt herp topics come up in here.

P.S.S. Now this is sun burned

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Thanks for reading.
Big Tom

www.HerpZillA.com

" "But since only a few snakes have been "suspected" (covering thine arse there) of requiring UV, why use a UVB on a snake? " "

Good point. Honestly, there's nothing wrong with a fluorescent light over the cage, but make it an old one (degraded phosphorus) that still illuminates the cage, but much of the UV radiation potential is diminished. Of course, the main thing is to offer more than one hide in the cage, so the snake will have ample opportunities to avoid direct exposure to the light.
South Mountain Reptiles

Excellent (and amusing) responses

My personal favorite has to be from Big Tom:

"Tanning in the wild? I'll keep my personal interest on that topic to woman on the beach! "

John D

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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.1 Eastern Kingsnakes