>>My first question is, I don't understand the difference >>between leucistic and blizzard. And is it the same for both >>snakes and geckos? I'm finding conflicting answers, can >>somebody clear this up for me? Thanks!!



Leucism is a condition where the whole animal is pigmented white. It is usually a simple genetic recessive trait. Leucistic Texas Rats are truly leucistic (they all trace back to a WC Leucistic Texas Rat that was found in Houston in the 70s).



Blizzard is a herp industry term for animals that have been selectively bred to be all (or mostly) white. I don't believe most blizzard corns/kings/geckos are leucistic. AFAIK, This white trait is not inherited as a simple recessive trait.



>>Second, on an unrelated note, I have what we believe is a gopher snake, but is that the same as a bullsnake? They look the same, and I didn't know if both referred to the same snake.



Some gophersnakes are the same species as bullsnakes and some aren't. The western gophersnakes (San Diego, Pacific, Great Basin) are Pituophis catenifer.

The Sonoran Gophersnake and Bullsnake different subspecies of Pituophis sayi.

However, this taxonomy has changed a few times recently. They were all considered subspecies of Pituophis melanoleucus for most of the 20th century.






-----
Chris Harrison

San Antonio, Texas

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