Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I raised this guy thinking it was an albino female, LOL. Last summer I started looking closer and started thinking it wasn't an albino at all, but it rather looks like a hypomelanistic snake. And on top of that, it turns out that it's a male. No matter, he'll be trying to produce some hets. this coming spring. What do you all think the mutation might be??

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Ratsnake Haven: Elaphe schrencki, dione, bimaculata, mandarina, conspicillata, porphyracea, taeniura, situla, and emoryi.

It looks a lot like the hypo chinese king ratsnakes, colorwise. Now you can make sunglows!
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"The serpent crams itself with animal life that is often warm and vibrant, to prolong an existence in which we detect no joy and no emotion. It reveals the depth to which evolution can sink when it takes the downward path and strips animals to the irreducible minimum able to perpetuate a predatory life in its naked horror."
Alexander Skutch

Thanks. I'm assuming sunglows are a combination of albino and hypo. I don't know.

TC

Yeah, it's a cornsnake term, but it's what I'm going to use if I get hypo x albino king rats.
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"The serpent crams itself with animal life that is often warm and vibrant, to prolong an existence in which we detect no joy and no emotion. It reveals the depth to which evolution can sink when it takes the downward path and strips animals to the irreducible minimum able to perpetuate a predatory life in its naked horror."
Alexander Skutch

Do you already have the hypo king rats? If so, could you post a picture of one? Thanks,

Terry

>>Yeah, it's a cornsnake term, but it's what I'm going to use if I get hypo x albino king rats.
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>>"The serpent crams itself with animal life that is often warm and vibrant, to prolong an existence in which we detect no joy and no emotion. It reveals the depth to which evolution can sink when it takes the downward path and strips animals to the irreducible minimum able to perpetuate a predatory life in its naked horror."
>>Alexander Skutch

Oh, no, I have a pair of double hets. I've got a pic of a hypo from the breeder I got mine from though. If you're interested I could email it to you for reference.
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"The serpent crams itself with animal life that is often warm and vibrant, to prolong an existence in which we detect no joy and no emotion. It reveals the depth to which evolution can sink when it takes the downward path and strips animals to the irreducible minimum able to perpetuate a predatory life in its naked horror."
Alexander Skutch

Hey Terry. I'm with you in thinking that it's a hypo. Very nice looking snake.
It was probably not on purpose but I would have to say that I would have been quite happy to have received a misrepresented snake in that case anyway! Later, Randy Whittington

Randy, I'm not complaining. I've heard that the price has really dropped on the albinos, plus I kinda like the hypo look better anyway. I'm hoping all goes well in the spring. He's a pretty fiesty guy. Thanks for the comments.

TC

That's a nice discovery Terry. Congratulations. I see others are agreeing with your view of it being hypomelanistic versus albino. Is it because of the eyes not being red or pink and yet having the color he has?

Terry Parks

>>I raised this guy thinking it was an albino female, LOL. Last summer I started looking closer and started thinking it wasn't an albino at all, but it rather looks like a hypomelanistic snake. And on top of that, it turns out that it's a male. No matter, he'll be trying to produce some hets. this coming spring. What do you all think the mutation might be??
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>>Ratsnake Haven: Elaphe schrencki, dione, bimaculata, mandarina, conspicillata, porphyracea, taeniura, situla, and emoryi.

Thanks, Terry. Kestrel first tipped me off about a year ago, that it didn't have pink eyes and probably wasn't an albino. I started thinking..t.taeniura usually has a lot of yellow in it anyway and it also has some black highlights. Thus, it's not too unusual for it to be as yellow as it is. Hypomelanism reduces the black pigment in snakes. This snake doesn't have any black either. It's dark colors are very suffused...not black. Look at the eye stripe and pattern on a fairly neutral color in back half of snake. After these considerations it didn't look like an albino to me either...t+ or t-. The only mutation I can think it might be is hypo, which is pretty exciting for me because hypo hasn't been talked about at all that I know of in t. taeniura, and thus should be more in demand than albino. It's also one of my favorite mutations.

PS: I think someone we know in CA has picked up some related snakes this past fall, but I haven't talked to him yet about it.

TC

>>That's a nice discovery Terry. Congratulations. I see others are agreeing with your view of it being hypomelanistic versus albino. Is it because of the eyes not being red or pink and yet having the color he has?
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>>Terry Parks
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>>>>I raised this guy thinking it was an albino female, LOL. Last summer I started looking closer and started thinking it wasn't an albino at all, but it rather looks like a hypomelanistic snake. And on top of that, it turns out that it's a male. No matter, he'll be trying to produce some hets. this coming spring. What do you all think the mutation might be??
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>>>>Ratsnake Haven: Elaphe schrencki, dione, bimaculata, mandarina, conspicillata, porphyracea, taeniura, situla, and emoryi.
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You read my next thought. I was thinking there must be a few others and hets. Hypo is one of my favorite morphs too. A hypo bullsnake is the first snake I ever saw that made me want to get a snake.

Terry Parks

>>Thanks, Terry. Kestrel first tipped me off about a year ago, that it didn't have pink eyes and probably wasn't an albino. I started thinking..t.taeniura usually has a lot of yellow in it anyway and it also has some black highlights. Thus, it's not too unusual for it to be as yellow as it is. Hypomelanism reduces the black pigment in snakes. This snake doesn't have any black either. It's dark colors are very suffused...not black. Look at the eye stripe and pattern on a fairly neutral color in back half of snake. After these considerations it didn't look like an albino to me either...t or t-. The only mutation I can think it might be is hypo, which is pretty exciting for me because hypo hasn't been talked about at all that I know of in t. taeniura, and thus should be more in demand than albino. It's also one of my favorite mutations.
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>>PS: I think someone we know in CA has picked up some related snakes this past fall, but I haven't talked to him yet about it.
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>>TC
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>>>>That's a nice discovery Terry. Congratulations. I see others are agreeing with your view of it being hypomelanistic versus albino. Is it because of the eyes not being red or pink and yet having the color he has?
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>>>>Terry Parks
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>>>>>>I raised this guy thinking it was an albino female, LOL. Last summer I started looking closer and started thinking it wasn't an albino at all, but it rather looks like a hypomelanistic snake. And on top of that, it turns out that it's a male. No matter, he'll be trying to produce some hets. this coming spring. What do you all think the mutation might be??
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>>>>>>Ratsnake Haven: Elaphe schrencki, dione, bimaculata, mandarina, conspicillata, porphyracea, taeniura, situla, and emoryi.
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Long time no talk. Glenn here. I have a hypo female Chinese beaut that I've been working with for the past three years. I'm hoping to produce some DH for sunglow (Terry yes it is hypo x albino) babies this year. I actually have a nice male albino to finally work with (thanks Karl ). I will shoot some pics and we can compare. What did you breed to ge tthat animal? Also, this will be the first year my DH for Hypo & Pattenless animals should breed. I have one pair that looks large enough and another female that is borderline. Im hoping for some hypos, patternless, and hypo patternless animals. Like you both the hypos are really beautiful in that they have a nice straw yellow color and the black is a more brown/tan color. Anyhow, I will shoot some pics and get them posted here shortly. Talk to you guys later! ----Glenn

Hi, Glen. I didn't get the hypo from a breeding. I just bought it. Maybe our hypos are related. I'm looking forward to seeing your pics.

TC

here is the pic

Glenn, it looks like a hypo to me, but the ground is a different shade than mine. I'm wondering if there's more than one type of hypo mutation. Do you have a mate for her??

Terry

Terry, yes I was going to take a male albino that I have here to make DH for sunglows. Please send some more pics of your so we can compare. Also, what sex is your animal and where di dyou get it from. Just curious. ----Glenn