Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Dad caught a leucistic gray rat snake last week. However, it has patterns on back. Talked with Terry Huering, who has a leucistic gray rat, and he shared that a true leucistic shouldn't have the patterns. Anyone have any info on what kind of morph this would be. I've posted pictures under the rat snake photo section.

looks like a calico black rat. I just picked up a trio this year and they look the same as yours

Awesome find!,....

Well, as Terry already mentioned, it's definitely not a true leucistic snake, even though it displays black pupils and is extremely pale. As mentioned, truly leucistic snakes are COMPLETELY patternless, white to beige with absolutely no other visible body pigmentation, yet have normally-pigmented black pupils. it doesn't seem to display ANY hints of tiny flecks of dark pigment (melanin) either like the so-called 'calico' Black ratsnakes do. I'd bet that your snake will later develop more yellowish pigmentation (xanthin), and even possibly a bit of pinkish tone as well as it matures more. Do you know if this juvenile was actually captured in pure 'spiloides' range? If not, it could easily be a natural intergrade of the other NA rat subspecies. The county were it was captured will likely determine its subspecific origin. it will be a bit easier to determine what is going on genetically as it matures more though. VERY COOL snake regardless!

BtW, this is a pic of a hatchling 'calico' BLACK ratsnake which is very similar to the gray rat. Both ratsnake ssp. look virtually identical as neonates anyway until they mature more.

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irony - "that one person's trash (hybrid snakes) could ever be another person's treasure"..........

Sorry, it wouldn't paste correctly in my earlier post.
Link

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irony - "that one person's trash (hybrid snakes) could ever be another person's treasure"..........

Funny you posted this. I found Will's site a couple of months ago. Talked to him via email. Found out that his wild caught calico and my wild caught calico are from the same area, same county. Mine is doing well, shedding, eating and growing. Must be something in the water here I guess....

Glad it's doing well for you. also interesting that it came from the same area of Kentucky as Will's did. If it originated from the Jefferson County area, then it's definitely a mutant Black Ratsnake, not a Gray Ratsnake. Is there ANY hint of dark pigmentation (melanin) on this animal's body whatsoever (aside from its pupils that is)? Anyway,....I would expect to see at least SOME vague hints of melanin on the body to deem it a 'calico' Black rat. However, it's possible that there is some other odd genetics involved where it also prevents the production of melanin on the body itself, yet could intensify with other shades such as the other underlying reddish and/or yellow hues that are in these snakes' natural genetics. It'll be very interesting to see how it colors-up later on as it matures. compared to the other known 'calico' Black and Texas ratsnakes already established in the hobby.

Anyway, enjoy raising that cool little juvenile up to adulthood.

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irony - "that one person's trash (hybrid snakes) could ever be another person's treasure"..........

.....on Will's calico bloodline. will be interesting if your particular hatchling only has and develops the other underlying pigment(s), unlike the other captive ratsnake lines do.
Will's calico hatchlings

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irony - "that one person's trash (captive-produced hybrids) could ever be another person's treasure"..........

Your map is out of date.You ignore the more accepted system.

There are now only three species of the old Elaphe obsoleta subspecies system. First there are no subspecies, and only three species recognized. They are:

alleghaniensis (Eastern)

spiloides (Central)

obsoletus (Western)

baird (Western Texas and Mexico) Bairdie was not considered a subspecies of Elaphe obsoleta.For that reason, I think that it with Elaphe obsoleta ssp might confuse the the issue. This system uses mtDNA to distinguish relationships. Coloring is not the defining issue.

An Alternative Classification of the New World Rat Snakes (Genus Pantherophis (Reptilia: Squamata: C