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I have found a couple male easterns from my special spot again this year. Last year I posted pics of a "greenish"one(green where the brown should be) that had lost coloration on some scales and it starts out looking like a "piebaldish" spot, it does have a pattern underneath....Very confusing and impossible to get a good pic of it. The biggest one(over 4'!)had patches on its head when I found it and the other one didnt have ANY at the last shed....but hasnt eaten and has shed again....and now he has some of these spots/patches too. ???? There is no scarring, no skin problems at all. These kind of remind me of Walt Deptula's "stitchco"milk as the whites are VERY intense. The wierdest thing is before Carl Bartlett let that snake go I wanted to try an experiment that I did try with these.....Under a blacklight these things actually glow in the dark! I need help explaining this one for sure! Jeff

I've never seen this but I'm interested in where you are finding these green ones. (generally, I don't expect you to give up your secret spot.) I have been finding green ones in western central IN and east central IL. Interested where else they show that color.
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International Snakes Meetup
International Herpetology Meetup

Hello,
I don't know if this applies to snakes, but I recall that my vet once used a blacklight to check my dog's skin for fungal infection. Apparently some types of fungal skin infections will glow under a blacklight. Could that explain the strange spots on that eastern? Or did the whole snake glow? Maybe it got hit by gamma rays.

Nate

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It sounds like some sort of heritable disease, like vitilago in snakes.

It's funny that when a snake starts to lose its skin pigmentation we think it is cool, but if the same symptom showed up in you, you would be in the doctor's office within 24 hours!
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Chris Harrison

...he was beginning to realize he was the creature of a god that appreciated the discomfort of his worshippers - W. Somerset Maugham

Well, not to give it away,but its an island race. I am not sure about the actual population but would have to assume it to be low as it took me more than 10 years to find my first specimens. I found an anerythristic milk there last year and my thoughts are that anything happening to this race has got to do with its isolation and inbreeding. I have found/kept/bred thousands of snakes and have never seen anything like these. These are fresh caught so I know that nothing I am doing is influencing this. I have seen some spotting like this in other milks from different areas but not as pervasive or to this extent or this frequent. Its particularly hard to get pics and the other milk experts in the northeast(Steve F,Carl B)arent really into them anymore to bounce this off of...Will bring them to the next WP show to ask whats up,lol,Jeff

Jeff, I have a female from PA. that has started loosing pigment in her scales on her tail. It looks like the spots you have described. I have no reason to believe that her health is involved, so I thought it may be do to something genetic. She has reduced black, and a fair amount of orange-red coloration unlike your greenish snakes. Do your greenish animals show any reduced black traits as well? I would like to see a picture of them if you one.
Jack

Where there was dirty white there is bright white. Where there was brown is now "greenish",and the black is faded out like a hypo...but only in spots. I will be trying to get pics but between my hi-strung guys, bad camera and limited posting skills it may be a while,lol.Jeff

Yes, that does sound like what I am seeing in my snake. Instead of the green where brown was I am seeing creamsicle where orange was. I will do some home work on this subject now that you sparked my interest.