Relying on the color of the animal to tell whether it is an amel or a creamsicle will be confusing at best, and misleading at worst.
An amel is a corn snake that lacks the ability to produce melanin. It will be red, orange, yellow, and white with any number of variations occuring within the spectrum (from candy to reverse okeetee to sunglow).
A creamsicle, on the other hand, is the amelanistic product of crossing Elaphe guttata guttata (corn snake) x Elaph guttata emoryi (Great Plains rat snake). This animal is not a pure corn snake. It is instead, an intergrade created by crossing two animals from different species within the same family. One day, it may be that science will reclassify the E.g.emoryi as being nothing mroe than a locale specific corn snake (as they recently did the rosy rat, E.g.rosacea), and, if this occurs, the creamsicle will have to be considered a "pure" cornsnake as well.
Therefore, it is the presence of emoryi blood (no matter the amount) that currently causes an animal to be identified as a creamsicle instead of an amel. Using this term allows potential buyers to know what bloodlines ahve been used, avoiding them or purchasing them as they see fit.
At least, that's how it stands as of today!
