Reptile & Amphibian Forums

have you guys seen the scaleless corn? Brian Barczyk of BHB shows one on one of his [ban]. Pretty amazing animal. He said not only does it look cool but it feels wierd, or something to that effect, not quoting him word for word, and I hope he doesn't mind me plugging his snake and video show. I personally would imagine it feels very smooth, similar to one of those fake rubber snakes. Can't wait to see morph combos of that snake in the future. hmmmm... i'm thinking scaleless lavender tessera!!! off the charts for me.
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Jeff Benfer
gartersnakemorph.com

I am not sure I like the looks of any of the scaleless snakes. While it is definitely different looking, to me it just doesn't look right! BTW, as the subject of my post says, did you know it resulted from a corn x emoryi?

If people are interested, I can post the article that has been translated into English but it is loooooong!

dc

I did not know that and yes I would like to see that article. So was the scaleless a hybrid that was produced in Europe then?
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Jeff Benfer
gartersnakemorph.com

Send me your email address and I mail the translated article to you.

Per the article, he bred a normal emoryi and corn and the scaleless hatched from that pairing.

dc

Thanks for posting the article, I just now read your post above requesting email, I wasn't blowing you off, I just don't check forums that regularly.
Interesting article, very eloquent write up, yet in a way it was a very painful read, lol.
The article itself doesn't fully and completely acount for the history of this morph, unless you assume that the emori was an unknown het for scaleless, or rather that this was a random spontanious mutation that occured during a hybrid cross. Were there other breedings done with the parents? ect. ect.
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Jeff Benfer
gartersnakemorph.com

Since posting the article I have talked with the original breeder. He stated to me that the two original animals that produced this morph have now perished of old age. He said he thought both the original emoryi and corn contained the gene. I would agree with that. So at this point, unless we can determine where his animals originated, we may never know the origin of the trait. It seems unlikely he would have been lucky enough to get two animals, one a subspecies, and both be carrying seperate scaleless traits that work together.

Seems there is more going on here than meets the eye?

dc

I saw Brian's adult scaleless at Dayona thsi year. I've been interested in the scaleless gene for some time now. After speaking to multiple Scaleless Tx Rats breeders and Brian (breed bot the Scaleless Tx Rats and Scaleless Corns) I'm very excited about their future in the hobby.

Alot of false rumors have been started by people who have probably never even seen a scaleless in person- let alone work with one. These things eat fine, shed fine and act like any other snake. Husbandry the same as anything else.

Really cool stuff!
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Do you know is it a recessive gene?
I have been interested in them too, I think last year was the first I saw of them, they are wiked looking. Ahhhh the rumor mill, I would rather here what an actual breeder has to say about them.
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Jeff Benfer
gartersnakemorph.com

I probably don't qualify as a "breeder" to you but here is the article anyways. It was taken from the original breeders web site and translated into english.

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(Pantherophis guttatus) account today among the Reptiles emblématiques of Terrariophilie. Of modest, robust size, coloured and equipped with a peaceful temperament, this Grass snake took a place of choices in the heart of impassioned. Moreover, its facility of breeding in made a pionière in the era of the genetic change.

There exists today in this Snake of many selections of breeding and genetic changes (called “phases”.) They are often at the origin the fruit of hazard, and thereafter the result of a meticulous person work of selection or a learnedly carried out calculation.

With regard to Patherophis guttatus, until recently, the work concerned either the colors (“albino”, “anerythristic”, “hypomelanstic”, etc), or on the reasons for the dress (“motley”, “striped”, “diffused”, etc) Moreover, it was possible to combine all these results, which made exponential the genetics of this Couleuvre sympathetic nerve.

It is in the United States, country original of the species that the breeding of the Snake of corns took its rise (since the Sixties.) Then, the phenomenon gained Europe and many other countries, so that today of the breedings exist everywhere. As regards innovation, the American stockbreeders have had the monopoly thanks to their long experiment raise all the same the Snake of Corns for soon fifty years!

However, many time, the work of the European stockbreeders held quite beautiful surprises in the breeding of Pantherophis guttatus, thus contributing to the success of this adventure in the whole world.

On the basis of this report, it is easy to realize that the project of breeding related to the Snake of corns will haunt the nights agitated of the terrariophiles during many years!

The phenomenon “scaleless”

The term “scaleless” means “without scales.”

Is a Snake without scales, this possible? How can one imagine such handicap for an Animal of which in fact to have scales on all the body allowed that it divides our planet since approximately 140 million years?

During all this time, its scales enabled him to move effectively in any type of medium and even in water (what, without member or fin was not an obviousness.)

They are also an invaluable shield against the wounds, bites and others attacks of parasites.

Lastly, that to say role of the scales in the organization of delivered guaranteeing the camouflage at many species?

Finally, without its invaluable scales, our Snake would not have can be known to find its place and to keep it within the evolution of the espècs!

And yet, and yet…

An upsetting event.

Impassioned by the Animals and in particular the Snakes since childhood, I discovered Terrariophilie at the end of the years four twenties. I then did not have any intention to reproduce my boarders who were “blows of heart " bought in animalery. It should be also said that, at that time, for a simple amateur, the simple fact of managing to keep in captivity of the Reptiles in good health on a long term constituted already a beautiful challenge.

My first births only came well later, in 1998, with a reproduction of royal Pythons obtained by chance. At this time there I maintained inter alia Pantherophis guttatus and Pantherophis emoryi which were still classified in subspecies of the Snake of corns. (One named them at the time “Elaphe guttata guttata” and “Elaphe guttata emoryi”.)

Union of two of these Grass snakes, a “guttata” and a “emoryi” came a laying of which many eggs did not develop . Let us recall that, at that time, my Animals were not prepared at all with the reproduction, as well on the plan of the nourrissage as of that of the hibernation, which could explain the poor result.

On three only alive eggs at the end of the incubation, babies of the type “emoryi” left. There thus remained an egg to be hatched. Four days passed. Then, the evening of the fourth day, throwing a rapid glance with my incubator, I live my bored egg and a strange head which exceeded some.
At the time, I prétais only little attention there; it is the following day that I was going to have the surprise of my life…

When, the next morning, this famous October 4, 2002, I returned to my incubator, the Snake had not always left his egg. I observed it more closely and it seemed to to me strange, with its funny of pale muzzle. I had a presentiment of something of really abnormal but it was impossible for me to know of what it acted.
It is only in end according to midday that, tortured by impatience, I cracked and decided to leave it his egg. I knew that it was disadvised doing it but it was stronger than me, I could not wait more.

Using a scissors to nails, I increased the crack made by the Snake, then I split the wrinkled shell over almost all his length. I realized that quelquechose clochait: the Snake had an aspect bizzare, as if it had not completed its development. However, it was indeed alive and ready to leave!

With an infinite precaution, I it left egg and I have a first shock: its colors and its reasons were unusual. It was difficult to describe. There was yellow, the purple one, more or less clear gray and all that tended to mix. The tasks also were surprising: they met between them, zigzaged and formed sometimes lines on the sides. But it was especially this muzzle sharp blue-sky which woke up my attention. The head, it, had a colour green-bluish with nuances violets. I was insane of joy: how could one hope for such colors on a simple “Gutt”?

I installed my treasure in a small plastic box of type “Fauna box ", valorous ancestor of me current boxes of breeding, with paper essuie all and small a ramequin of water.

One hour later, I returned to see my Snake which seemed perfectly to have recovered from this intervention. The weather was very nice there this day and the luminosity of my part was optimal. I decided to handle it one second time. I delicately taken it in my hands and I went close to the window in order to places to benefit from it. I have at this time precise the shock of my life: this Snake had the naked skin.

Yep, it's a simple recessive gene.
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