Really Random Wild Cornsnakes Question.

Just wondering if anyone would agree with this theory I have, I have never encountered a wild cornsnake so I'm just curious if this is true.

I kinda have to explain the whole conversation which is slightly off topic for you to all understand why I am asking such a random question.

My husband, breeds garter snakes. Which I couldn't really care for because garters like to make that horrible musky smell.
He owns over 15 types of garters. And each species seems to have its own "set personality"
I was curious as to why "this" garter is nice vs "these" garters which are like devil reincarnates and the whole species looks really "angry" in the eyes.

Well from looking online the behavior patterns are supposubly stemmed from at some point down the line having been bred from wild caught snakes. Some evolve out because of the huge lines of captive bred snakes in their family history. While some just never grow out of it at all.
These behavior patterns being the brightly colored snakes vs the "easily blended in the wild snakes"

They had proven by research and statistics that the brighter the snake, the more naturally agressive the snake had to be to survive. Causing the odd colored snakes to be more "evil" then the dull colored snakes.


My random question is, I know that cornsnakes are one of the most docile snakes in the world. My cornsnake is even nicer then some of my husbands captive bred garters.
But do wild corn snakes also have irate behaviors escalating in the natural wild morphs which display brighter more giving away colors?

Or if that didn't make sense, Does the behaviors in wild cornsnakes vary depending most commonly on brighter to duller snakes?

Interesting theory, but from my limited experience, I would have to say that disposition is not related to color in wc corns. I've has several wc corns, none were what I would call exceedingly bright, but more middle-of-the-road, and one had an attitude that would rival any ill-tempered snake out there! The rest have all been puppy-dog tame and easy going.

They had proven by research and statistics that the brighter the snake, the more naturally agressive the snake had to be to survive. Causing the odd colored snakes to be more "evil" then the dull colored snakes.

Click to expand...

Could you provide a link or copy that information here please? I find that very interesting.

heres a link of one of the statistics.

CLICK HERE.

necromantica said:

heres a link of one of the statistics.

CLICK HERE.

Click to expand...

How about something written in English? heh heh...actually I can read that stuff it's just a bit painful to do so. Thanks for the link.

No problem lol, it is alot of mumbo jumbo in there. He even quotes somewhere "just to confuse you more" then goes on with more information. I know theirs something else out their which i was on last night but it was like late at night. I will post it when I figure it out LOL.

I've caught a lot of corn snakes (I'd guess numbering in the hundreds). I've seen no indication that bright ones were any less mellow than dull ones. In fact, from my admittedly small sample size, the duller ones from mid-state are typically more "bitey" than the much prettier ones from the coast. My guess is this results from animals from that area having a greater survival rate by being quick to bite than coastal specimens.

Corn snakes aside, I'm just thinking about snakes that pretty much always bite when bothered. Many, if not most I've encountered are certainly lacking any bright coloration. For example, black racers and brown water snakes are usually as nasty as they come! Not saying there is nothing to this theory, but it doesn't jive with my experience collecting or keeping captive snakes.

I can see what you mean though, it is "mean" persay to keep a wild animal vs a captive bred animal because obviously even though captively keeping an animal has its benefits vs the wild, the wild is what they are accustomed to so taking an animal from the wild would be traumatising for them. Then again in some instances like if the animal were posing a threat or in a threatened situation itself for example trying to survive the wild with a fatal injury. Helping is the nice thing to do.
Near my home, is a swamp they are just building ironically right next to a very popular toddler park. They didn't stop to think building a swamp near the river would attract and bring rough skinned newts "the most poisonous species of salamander" onto the toddler park. The scary thing being 13% of the newts bodily venom is enough to kill a person if consumed. Where else would someone be likely to stick something they find in there mouth then a toddler park.
Lets just say Ive got a few newts living with me now, so no ones kids would eat them.
I am allways 100% alert down their now, I couldn't begin to imagine how a mother would feel having her 2 year old child die, without any hope, because of a newt she didn't notice her baby grabbing off a slide.
I can only hope someone does something about it soon, its scary!

I'd say snake colour is surely a quantitative trait...controlled by a lot of genes (each which could be independently selected for -well unless they are linked-)....either way i'd say it's just one of those traits thats can't be simplified/generalized into "this = that" theory.

I would spend all night reading that book if I could - it's very interesting.

I did check out the first few pages and one thing it noted in the beginning was that the stripeness or spotted pattern of garters is thought to of evolved through genetic drift not natural selection.

I'll read more later and try and translate the thoughts : )

necromantica said:

I was curious as to why "this" garter is nice vs "these" garters which are like devil reincarnates and the whole species looks really "angry" in the eyes.

Click to expand...

Thats my eastern garter snake right there, although I actually call him the spawn of Satin lol. No matter how mmuch I try he wants me dead:madeuce:. Hes my only snake I can say actually scares me when I have to mess with him...and he is only 10" long! Thats how bad he is lol!

But anyways thats an interesting theory. I'll have to keep notes next time i go field herping.

Interesting. I enjoyed the link, but didn't see any quantitative info on the number of garter snakes involved in the sample used to explore the author's hypothesis. I'd need more info before I'd stake my tent in the "brightly colored snakes are more aggressive as a survival mechanism" camp.

I've never met an aggressive wild corn snake, though some have been brilliantly colored. I've never met a friendly water moccasin, though all have been spectacularly dull in coloration.

I have never handled a real aggressive wild corn snake, and I have handled quite a few.(example "looky looky what I found")(in the Natural history/feild observation Section)(wait that is this section)
Now yellow rat snakes are a different thing. I can handle them, after a few chew marks, Mean little buggers lol. Garters treat me the same way.

Thats interesting. It makes sense if you think about it. Obviously, animals that are brighter are seen more easily, therefore the only way NOT to get eaten is to be more aggressive than usual.
I know it doesn't go for all lavas and bright-red corn snakes, but many I've come across are vicious. However...I'm not sure if this is actually a genetic thing, because I've also come across docile ones. It's just nature vs nurture.