Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My first question is, I don't understand the difference between leucistic and blizzard. And is it the same for both snakes and geckos? I'm finding conflicting answers, can somebody clear this up for me? Thanks!!

Second, on an unrelated note, I have what we believe is a gopher snake, but is that the same as a bullsnake? They look the same, and I didn't know if both referred to the same snake. Please help! Thanks!!

-Kat

>>My first question is, I don't understand the difference >>between leucistic and blizzard. And is it the same for both >>snakes and geckos? I'm finding conflicting answers, can >>somebody clear this up for me? Thanks!!

Leucism is a condition where the whole animal is pigmented white. It is usually a simple genetic recessive trait. Leucistic Texas Rats are truly leucistic (they all trace back to a WC Leucistic Texas Rat that was found in Houston in the 70s).

Blizzard is a herp industry term for animals that have been selectively bred to be all (or mostly) white. I don't believe most blizzard corns/kings/geckos are leucistic. AFAIK, This white trait is not inherited as a simple recessive trait.

>>Second, on an unrelated note, I have what we believe is a gopher snake, but is that the same as a bullsnake? They look the same, and I didn't know if both referred to the same snake.

Some gophersnakes are the same species as bullsnakes and some aren't. The western gophersnakes (San Diego, Pacific, Great Basin) are Pituophis catenifer.
The Sonoran Gophersnake and Bullsnake different subspecies of Pituophis sayi.
However, this taxonomy has changed a few times recently. They were all considered subspecies of Pituophis melanoleucus for most of the 20th century.

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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Isn't the Sonoran Gopher Pituophis catenifer affinis? I did not know it was sayi.
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Diego

>>Isn't the Sonoran Gopher Pituophis catenifer affinis? I did not know it was sayi.

I guess it is now, as long as the bullsnake is (P. catenifer sayi). I haven't kept up with the different iterations of Pit taxonomy over the last 15 years or so.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

I suppose it doesn't matter, as it will all change again soon...
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Diego

Leucism in snakes is a form of albinism, only it is much rarer than the more common form known as amelanism(albinism)that is seen in many captive bred animals today. Leucism also seems to target the body in most animals, and leaves it void of ALL pigment, not just dark pigment(melanin)yet leaves the eyes of the animal darkly pigmented with melanin just as it would be in a normally pigmented animal. There are however, albino forms of leucistic animals too, and the only noticeable difference is that these animal's eyes are pink/red instead, but are still true leucistic animals, AND amelanistic at the same time, showing both phenotypes simaltaneously. an example of this would be the "pink-eyed" Leucistic Texas Ratsnake. I have a "pink-eyed", and a normally pigmented Leucistic Texas Ratsnake in my collection.

the double mutation known as "Blizzard", such as in cornsnakes, is actually an anerythristic(type B)otherwise known as "Charcoal" that is combined with amelanism to produce an animal that has even less discernable pattern than a "snowcorn", blizzards also display little to no yellow pigment as well, making them VERY faintly patterned, to almost zero pattern.

The only difference in a typical "snowcorn", is that anery(type A)is used instead of anery(type B) as in the blizzards.

The leucism gene behaves the same in the lizards(gecko's), but I don't think the so-called "blizzard" gene is the same thing in geckos as it is in the snakes.

About Bullsnakes, Gophers, and Pine Snakes now,.....all three are very closely related to each other, and they all belong to the genus known as Pituophis. Many subspecies of these can look very similar, and they get confused quite frequently. They all have a very broad range throughout North America, and one subspecies even gets down into Guatemala.

Pine Snakes are indigenous to the entire eastern portion of the U.S., but there are four subspecies that inhabit different areas of this eastern range. They have a specific name known as melanoleucus.

The Bullsnake is a single species that ranges over the entire central portion of the U.S., and it covers from southern Canada, to northeastern Mexico, It is known as Pituophis catenifer sayi.

The different types of Gopher Snake's have a large range that covers the entire western U.S., that also ranges down into Mexico. There are approx. ten subspecies of these snakes, and they have thespecies name of catenifer,...the different subspecies would follow after the name catenifer, for example the Great Basin Gopher snake would look like...Pituophis catenifer deserticola.

Additionally, there are four species of these snakes that are only found in certain areas of Mexico. They are known as Pituophis deppei, and P.lineaticollis.

Here is a helpful link for much more info on Pituophis.

Pituophis

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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"