Like leopard geckos, there are various colours and patterns of corn snakes, which means that a group of corn snakes may not look the same. These patterns and colours are known as morphs. So in this article, we’ll discuss some of the basics of corn snake morphs.
What are Corn Snake Morphs?
Corn snake morphs are the term used to describe the colours or pattern on a corn snake that is not normal. These morphs are created by genetic differences which cause visual differences.
Morphs can be one genetic difference or a combination of genetic differences that create a unique look. For example, there is the combination of Anery and Amel (Albino) that create snow corns, which are white/cream-coloured snakes.
Recessive/Dominant Morphs
As with all reptiles, morphs can be split into recessive, co-dominant, and dominant genes. These types all determine how the morphs affect the appearance of the corn snake. For instance, recessive morphs require two copies of the mutation to display on an individual. One copy must be inherited from each parent.
Codominant mutations are where one copy will display one particular way, and two copies (one inherited from each parent) will display differently.
Finally, there is dominance, which means that only one copy of the mutation is required to display.
What Are Some Popular Corn Snake Morphs?
Numerous corn snake morphs are very popular. Anery and Amel morphs are very popular, and so are the stripe and tessera morphs. One of the most popular morphs that is being bred is the scaleless morph, this is where the corn snake has no scales. However, there are concerns that this morph might cause some shedding problems.
Snow corn snakes, which are white snakes caused by a combination of Anery and Amel, are very popular. These can also be combined with Tessera or Striped morphs to make beautiful patterns.
But many people have their favourite morphs, which can be different from the standard morphs.
Do Morphs Cause Health Issues?
Some morphs of reptiles are known to cause health issues. For example, Lemon Frost and Enigma can cause issues with leopard geckos.
With corn snakes, there aren’t well-known issues with morphs. It is known that sometimes Palmetto corn snakes will have bug-eyed issues. And scaleless can sometimes have shedding problems. However, corn snakes have been selectively bred over many generations and most problems have been bred out of the morphs.
Final Word: Quick Guide to Corn Snake Morphs
Corn snake morphs can be beautiful and add variance when you have several corn snakes. With the experience and length of time that corn snakes have been bred, they are generally safe with no long-term issues caused by breeding different morphs.
Which corn snake morph is your favourite? Let us know in the comments.
