corn snake
Corn Snake

Albino Corn Snakes

Albino corn snakes are uncommon in the wild, but very popular as pets and therefore commercially bred in captivity. Albinism is a lack of skin, eye and hair pigmentation. The condition is caused by a recessive gene, and an individual must therefore inherit the albino gene from both parents in order to become albino. Corn snakes have been selectively bred for numerous generations and you can today find a wide range of different colours and patterns in the corn snake trade. If you come across a corn snake sold as albino corn snake it can actually be one of many different colour variations.

Amelanistic albino corn snake

This type of corn snake is commonly referred to as red albino corn snake. Amelanistic albino corn snakes have no melanin pigment but they are usually not white, since reflective cells in the skin and iridophores produces different shades of red and orange. You can for instance find amelanistic albino corn snakes that show darker orange markings on a paler orange background, as well as amelanistic albino corn snakes that displays dark red markings that contrast brightly against a very light background. Some amelanistic albino corn snakes are nearly solid orange. The eyes are red.  

Anerythristicalbino corn snake

This type of albino corn snake is commonly referred to as black albino corn snake. The condition is caused by a recessive gene that causes the snake to produce no erythrin pigments (red, yellow and orange). The anerythristic albino corn snake is mostly black and grey.

There are two different anerythristic albino corn snake variants: type A and type B.  A type A anerythristic albino corn snake will produce yellow shades on its neck as it matures, while a type B snake will not. As of 2006, all captive bred type B specimens hail from one type B anerythristic corn snake that was caught in the wild in 1984.

Snow albino cornsnake

This type of albino corn snake is commonly referred to as white albino corn snake. A snow albino corn snake have both amelanistic and anerythristic recessive traits. These snakes are more or less white and have light blotches. The blotches as well as the main background colour can be pale shades of ivory, beige, yellow, green or pink. Mature specimens will often display yellow shades around neck and throat.   

Blizzard albino corn snake

The Blizzard albino corn snakes hail from the wild caught type B anerythristic corn snake mentioned above. They are completely white and their pattern is invisible or barely noticeable.

Lavender albino cornsnake

This albino corn snake looks very similar to the Blizzard snake, but will develop decorative highlights when it becomes mature. These highlights are lavender, pink or purple.

Okeetee albino corn snake

Normal non-albino Okeetee corn snake variant have dorsal blotches of a deep red colour and the blotches are bounded by very black borders. In the albino Okeetee corn snake, the black borders are replaced by wide white borders. The albino Okeetee corn snake have not been bred from the normal Okeetee corn snakes, they are instead selectively bred amelanistic corn snakes.

 

cornsnake
From a picture by LA Dawson

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