14/01/2024
This will be our first Morph Standard and rightfully so.
Amelanistic (AKA "Amel", "albino" , "Red Albino"
Inheritance: Recessive to wild types
Amelanistic "Amel" was the the first corn snake morph discovered in 1953 by Dr. Bernard Bechtel a prominent biologist who could be argued to be the first forefather of the corn snake hobby. Dr. Bechtel acquired an amelanistic which came from the wild in North Carolina in 1953. In 1959 Dr Bechtel bred the original male to three normal colored females and in 1961 the first captive bred Amel corn was hatched. Logically because of being the first morph discovered and because of its beautiful coloration Amelanistic and its variations are the most widely found morph in the hobby today aside from the Classic corn coloration.
The Science
Amenanistic derivative of Latin "A" meaning "no" melanin referring to dark pigmentation therefore "no melanin". An older term still found in the hobby for Amelanistic is Albino, this has generally found to be a somewhat incorrect designation. The term Albino is used for organisms that do not possess pigmentation. Amelanstic corn snakes are not lacking in all pigmentation but simply in Melanin which still allows for their coloration to be affected by red and yellow (and therefore also orange) and white. In lacking melanin Amels do not possess black, gray or brown colorations.
Description: lacking all black, gray, and brown coloration.
Body differences: None
Head: As would be found in a Classic corn and lacking dark pigments.
Body: As would be found in a Classic corn and lacking dark pigments
Belly: As would be found in a Classic corn and lacking dark pigments (checkering typically still present)
Tail: As would be found in a Classic corn
Genetic known issues: None
Allelic: Ultra
Care: It is often suggested that Amelanistic corns or any albino creature be limited in their exposure to UVB and Infrared lighting as it is believed to affect sight and with prolonged exposure possibly cause blindness.
Other names or prominent lines: Albino, Red Albino, Candy cane, Fluorescent, Sunglow, Creamcicle, Reverse Okeetee (also Extreme) (R.O. and E.R.O.), Red Zeppelin, High White, White Hatch, Red Hatch
Other useful information: Amelanistic is only common usage in corn snakes and that most other snake species hobbyists use "albino" for lacking black pigmentation.
Informational Credits: Don Soderberg SMR, VMS Reptiles, Ian's Vivarium, MorphMarket, Rodney Hendricks II
