Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just wanted to share these two pictures comparing my definite codom hypo checkered, to one that I cherry picked out of a group of babies that looked like a glowstick mixed in with the others. Surprisingly the $14 one is even whiter, brighter, and cleaner looking that my $100 codom hypo! The head is the most striking thing on the snake, it's really pale and the whole snake just glows. Sorry the pictures are actually really bad, the sun was too bright that day and I was unable to get clear shots, plus they were wiggly. But both of these guys really do glow like that!! It will be interesting to see how the unproven one matures. These are both males.

In the first picture, the snake on the left is the $14 one. The one on the right is the actual proven morph hypo. In the second picture, the $14 snake is in the front.

If you've been to enough shows and I assume you have. People quite often end up selling alot of things extremely cheap because they don't know what they have. It is a real discipointment to those that don't know what they are getting to buy from someone uneducated in what they have. Yet it can be a bonus for those of us that can find a fabulous bargain such as you have. I actually picked up an Anerythristic eastern kingsnake at a show because the guy didn't know what it was. It grew to be the only one anyone has heard of. Unfortunately I lost her one year before breeding her.
I have to say that from the pictures you got very lucky and found a hypo and the people just didn't know it. If I find some really cheap proven females somewhere I'll pick them up since I want some anyhow and I'll let you know and possibly can bring you one to the Hamburg show. If you happen to not want it at that time I can always use a Trio!!! hahaha.

Well, we will see with time what this little guy holds in store! He had an abscess in one of his hemipenes that needed a fixin, it's all better now thanks to my tender loving care and some antibiotics, hopefully it did not damage him as a future breeder, that would suck. But alas, he will be bred to a normal female to attempt to prove him out. If I get no hypoish babies from that breeding I'll hold a female and breed father to daughter to see if it's a recessive hypo. He has a different look than my other hypo, so only time will tell! Heck, he could be just a really nice light checkered that just inherited really good genes! But something tells me there's more to it...

Geeze looks like the $14 one was a better buy for sure, it is brighter and ligher, hope that proves out for you, either way it was certainly worth $14.
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Jeff Benfer
gartersnakemorph.com

Jeff, that's exactly what I said. For $14.... what the heck?!?! Even if it turns out to not be a morph, it's still a darned good looking example of the species!

I'm not sure about that new snake being a codom hypo-the black is usually more prominent on the codoms-but an outstanding checkered at any rate! And who knows-it might turn out even better-a true recessive hypo?
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

I would have to assume the size of the black markings would be determined by the individual animal rather this Hypo gene. I've actually wondered about these hypo checkereds because they aren't truly hypomelanistic because the black is still black. A true hypomelanistic reduces the melanin throughout the entire body of the animal. Of course it may not even be refering to melanin for all I know. And of course it could just be a laymens hobbyiest term calling it a hypomelanistic. Or possibly even being called a hypo period beings hypo = reduced. in which it does have a reduction in color. As far as it being a recessive gene it's possible to be a "new" recessive gene but it still can't be the simple recessive hypomelanistic gene because the black is still dark black. I'm willing to bet you could find other hypos with smaller black spots, albinos with smaller white spots. I truly believe that's just how the individual appears. Unless part of being this Hypo gene is to exagerate the size of the black spots. And that of course is possible for all I know. Like I said I really don't know about the hypo checkereds I'm just talking about how I've found the majority of other morphs have worked.

haha no no, I don't think he's a codom hypo, I think he might be a different hypo all together. He doesnt have the same head pattern or screwed up neck checkers that they have!!!

My own theory about the codom "hypos" is that it is a gene similar to the "Stillwater Hypo" bullsnake, since it seems to have a similar effect on color and pattern. It can't very likely be the same gene, since that one acts as a simple recessive.

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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....