Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all,

This is my first posting to the forum and I thought I would use it to introduce myself to the group. My name is Brian and I'm a long-time herper who has recently started to get back into keeping/breeding after many years away from the hobby. I've had many snakes over the years, but my favorites have always been the corns.

I am an academic biologist who does molecular genetic research on gametogenesis and fertilization, and although my professional work does not involve corn snakes, I've been long fascinated by the wonderful color and pattern morph possibilities they offer.

Although I try to keep my knowledge current, I'm sure I've missed some things that have changed since the days when I had been seriously herping, so I look forward to learning from you all and hope to contribute as well.

I'm glad I found my way in here. =)

Kind Regards,
Brian

Welcome, Brian!

If you've been away for very long, you will be amazed at the new morphs and combinations that have come about. We're up to at least 5 different documented 'hypos.' and that's just the start!

I'm very new to corns, like less than 4 months, but I'm already up to 15, so they're still as addictive as ever!

Can you explain your work in simpler terms for the non-science types? Sounds fascinating, but then anything that has anything to do with genetics is fascinating to me!

Leslie

Hello Leslie,

Thank you for the warm welcome. =)

Looks like I've learned something new in here already- I was under the impression that there were only 4 "different" documented hypos. Which brings up a question- have any of these genes actually been mapped or characterized at all? (I really need to get into the literature and start checking this out.)

15 corns in less than four months, hmm? Yes, I'd say you've caught the bug!

You asked for a simple explanation of what I do- our lab studies the development of sperm and oocytes (both go through a necessary maturation process), and the molecular interactions between them that are required for fertilization to occur. We also study the early development that takes place next).

Thanks again for the welcome Leslie!

Kind Regards,
Brian

A great place to catch up on the new morphs and prices is cornsnakes.net Don is a great guy to deal with honestly one of the best in the industry.
So to dumb down your job for the rest of us... you basically study sex cell development, fertilization processes, and early zygote development? Welcome back to the addiction!

-----
0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"

Hi there Phiber,

Thanks for the welcome. Cute snow you've got there.

Thanks also for the info on that website. I will definitely have to go check it out.

As for my job- yes, that's pretty much what I do. You know, I can honestly say that keeping and breeding corn snakes as a teen probably had a lot to do with me ultimately deciding to get my graduate degree and to study fertilization/development. Corns were my very first "real" snakes (i.e.- not garters I caught in the yard) and will always remain my favorite. I can still remember exactly the first time I saw an amelanistic...

It's hard to believe I've been away from it so long. One thing I'm definitely going to have to check out is shipping regulations. I used to have to go to Newark Airport to pick up my packages from Glades Herps, but I'm wondering whether you can get things shipped to your door today?

Anyway, as you can see, I've got a lot to catch up on, but I know it will be a fun process.

Thanks again Phiber.

As far as I know fedex is the easiest to ship through. And yes, now you can have the packages over nighted to your door.
-----
0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"

(nt)

Welcome,i'm new as well, I have just gotmy snow corn on 1/1/9/06,he had 2 succesful feedings with no problems, I have as well a ball python who is a finicky eater, shes in fasting, any way i think i got the corn and python bug,getting 2 blood pythons and maybe 4 corns from the Northwestern Berks Reptile Show in Hamburg, PA. can't wait, im already counting down the days, also if u read this phiber, my snake has the same exact pattern as ursnow corn, except mine has a yellowish hue inbetween the first oval and like the next three circles running down its back as well has gray spot on his side, 30% of his belly and most of the last inch or to of tail. Have u ever seen all these colors on a corn?the yellow i hearis normal as they get older but he is only about 18-19 inches long and ppl here say they never heard of gray spots or anything gray,im gonna be getting the pics developed soon. thanks for listening to me ramble................

...thanks for the welcome.

Your snow sounds pretty, and I enjoyed the BP shots.

Have fun at the PA show. (I wish I was free at that time).

Kind Regards,
Brian

Thanks for complimenting Hope. You will give her an ego if you keep it up though That is a baby picture of her. I have had her for about 8 1/2 months now. She has grown like a weed as you can see in the picture (which is also a few months old) Threw ina neat picture of Wilson too.


-----
0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"

I believe that they have proved out the 'Christmas' hypo recently.

Yeah, I'm hooked. No doubt about it. About to get my first racks in a week of so....so there will be so much more room.....

Leslie

welcome to the group, there are alot of helpful people here.
they have helped me alot... i have 3 corns a miami and 2 common.
and 3 ball pythons...... i like the corns and ball pythons as well.

Hi raisnok,

Thank you for the welcome. Those are some pretty snakes you've got there.

As for the ball pythons- I love them too. Great temperment. Some of my favorite pythons, though, would have to be the the Morelia species. I just think they're gorgeous:

here are 2 of my ball pythons i havent got a chance to get and pics of the third one yet..... the first one is devi....
the second one is durga, durga is my favorite snake i think i would have to say.

here she is in her cage i built her.

she will only eat in the air, she is strange

she only eats in the air

she loves to snap
Link

can u find it

me and Jewel

hey you got any plans on how you built that enclosure?
im looking into building my own for my 3 ball pythons.

The cage is 38 in. long,21 in wide and in the back its 10 inches high and in the front it is 28 in. high, the low height in the back allows me to heat the cage up easily, the heat gradient is from the bach to the front wit the hottest in the back. It's made from an old computer table and plywood(the white wood is the original com desk.the only thing i would do different is the door is actually screen which doesn't hold humidity to well,it usually stays at45-50% humidity wit temps in the back at 86 degress.when i build my ball a new cage(this weekend)the doors will have glass instead. the new dimensions will be 48 in. long, 36 in. wide and 15 in. high. im building three of these cages which will be stackable(pics will be posted)one will have my ball python, a blood python(when i go to the hamburg reptile expo on feb. 25)and i will be also getting a albino burmese python (when i go to the hamburg reptile expo on feb. 25)I will also be making a bigger cage for the burmese as it gets older, i am aware of its size and have delt with snakes up to 18 ft. so i am expeirenced with large animals. i say this so no one flames me for saying im getting a burm and putting it in a small cage.

Glad to see you have returned to the fun of keeping corns. We can always use more scientists in the hobby/business to catch us up on the scientific advances that could eventually help us figure out new and exciting projects!

Be sure to go to serpwidgets.com. Chuck calls himself a "genetics geek", and although the site has a lot of general genetics that you won't need, it also has some specifics that might be new to you. If you email him, you will have some stimulating conversation about genetics.

We (the cornsnake community) have figured out different hypos (and other morphs) just by breeding together to see whether we get normals or hypos. No scientific wizardy there, I am afraid!

Welcome to the network of Krazy Korn Keepers!

Hello Kathy,

Thank you very much for the warm welcome. You might be pleased to know that some of my earliest corns came from Bill.

I also had a chance recently to read through your "Comprehensive Owners Guide"; I think you did a very nice job.

>>Glad to see you have returned to the fun of keeping corns. We can always use more scientists in the hobby/business to catch us up on the scientific advances that could eventually help us figure out new and exciting projects!

I'll do my best to help!

>>Be sure to go to serpwidgets.com. Chuck calls himself a "genetics geek", and although the site has a lot of general genetics that you won't need, it also has some specifics that might be new to you. If you email him, you will have some stimulating conversation about genetics.

Thank you for that. I checked out Chuck's site and he's got a nice basic genetics primer there. I will e-mail him as well.

>>We (the cornsnake community) have figured out different hypos (and other morphs) just by breeding together to see whether we get normals or hypos. No scientific wizardy there, I am afraid!

Hey, there's nothing wrong with that, Kathy! The only reason I asked was that I have sometimes heard people talk of crossing two phenotypically similar homo recessives together (like two hypos, for example), get wild-type offspring as a result, and conclude that the parents must have been homozygous for two different (in this case, hypo) genes. While that is possible, it is not necessarily true; they may still be the same gene (there are actually a number of genetic mechanisms by which this can occur). I was wondering whether anyone has looked into that with corns at all to see how many of the different hypos are actually due to different genes (and if anyone out there is reading this, and wants to discuss it, I'd love to). I will also ask Chuck about this when I e-mail him.

As I mentioned, I've only recently got back into keeping corns (although I've still kept a few other snakes through all these years) so I will definitely be searching through the journals, but I wonder if you (or anyone else who may be reading) know of any "must read" enthusiast articles you can recommend that might be more difficult to find?

Speaking of enthusiast articles, there used to be a very nicely produced magazine available called Vivarium. I'm guessing it is no longer available, though as I haven't seen it.

>>Welcome to the network of Krazy Korn Keepers!

Thank you again Kathy. And please- keep up the excellent work!

Kind Regards,
Brian

when Philippe de Vosjoli sold his Advanced Vivarium book series to Fancy Publications. It was aimed at more advanced hobbyists, but unfortunately, I think there wasn't a big enough audience to sustain it. Reptiles Magazine is aimed at a broader spectrum of enthusiasts, and has a much bigger circulation than the Vivarium ever did.

Thanks for the info Kathy!

~Brian

>>when Philippe de Vosjoli sold his Advanced Vivarium book series to Fancy Publications. It was aimed at more advanced hobbyists, but unfortunately, I think there wasn't a big enough audience to sustain it. Reptiles Magazine is aimed at a broader spectrum of enthusiasts, and has a much bigger circulation than the Vivarium ever did.