New cornie

[close2christ]

We just got our first 2 corns, they are "normal het bloodred/ghost". Anyone know what that means? They are only a few months old, but don't know much yet about them. Willing to lean all we can. :shrugs:

[Hurley]

Normal means their coloration and pattern are normal (non-morphed).

Het is short for "heterozygous" which means unalike pair of genes. Since most genes we work with are recessive (only expressed when the snake is homozygous / "carries both genes" for the genetic mutation). In the corn world, we use it to indicate that, although your snakes don't express "bloodred" or "ghost", they are carrying the genes to create those morphs.

Ghost is actually a combination of 2 color genes,
Anerythrism, which means "a condition of having no red pigment", and
Hypomelanism, which means "a condition of having reduced black pigment".

Bloodred is an animal with enhanced red coloration exhibiting the Diffusion pattern trait of having a checkerless belly, diffusion/smearing of the side pattern, and often a broadening of the head pattern into a "skull" or all grey head pattern as hatchlings. As those snakes age, the best "Bloodreds" gain more and more red to eventually become a nearly solid red snake.

So, when you say you have normals het bloodred/ghost, you are saying you have a pair of normal looking corns that carry anerythrism, hypomelanism, and diffusion. If bred together, they have the potential to produce:

Normals (27/64 odds)
Anerys (short for anerythrism) (9/64)
Hypos (short for hypomelanism) (9/64)
Diffuseds (9/64)
Ghosts (3/64)
Granites (anery + diffusion) (3/64)
Hypo diffuseds (3/64)
Ghost diffuseds (1/64)

[princess]

Wow...

That explination could not have been better! It's so hard to give a good genetics 1.01 lesson without going over most peoples heads.

I'm very impressed!!!!

[Hurley]

LOL, "edjucate, don't frighten" was the tone I was going for. ;)

May I also recommend to any new corn owner wanting to learn about this stuff two very good books that will take you step by step through it to understanding corn snakes...

"Corn Snakes: The Comprehensive Owner's Guide" (2nd edition of "The Corn Snake Manual") by Kathy Love
http://cornutopia.com - click books and scroll down

The Cornsnake Morph Guide by Charles Pritzel
http://cornguide.com or also available at Kathy's site listed above

[close2christ]

Thank You to all that posted. You helped me a lot, and you didn't go over my head. Thank You again. I know now that I have found the right place to be.

[miamijuan3]

Welcome now sit back and enjoy the ride