Newbie Corn Snake Owner

Hello,
I have just bought my pet snake and, of course, it's a corn snake. I had wanted a snake when I was younger but only now took the plunge mainly due to playing with a friend's collection (Missouri Bull Snake - Male, Pine Snake - Female, and a normal Corn - Female). I just discovered this forum and have already found some great pics and info and wanted to ask a few questions as well.

My corn is just a tiny guy or gal. Don't get me wrong I think the wild variations of color are all great, but I decided on the gray/silverish and black. The label and dealer states, "het Ghost Striped". I took some photos this morning and wanted to post them and maybe get some feedback. Some of my questions for you kind folks are:

Is this what is is claimed to be, Ghost Striped? Some of the pics of ghosts seem really different.
What is the difference between the ghost and the Anerys?
What is the kind of hour glass type shape on the back?
Can this little fellow eat a whole pinky? He was feed on 7/24, the day before I bought him. When should I feed him next and will it be hard because he is small? My friends corn just gobbles them up and needs 'Fuzzies' now, but she is a lot bigger.

I think that is it for now. I look to forward to talking with everyone.

Hi and welcome !
That isn't what's claimed to be a ghost stripe, it does however look like a nice ghost though. The label "het" means (in basic terms) it carries those genes but does not display them.
Ghosts are hypomelanistic aneries and display lighter, sometimes even to a pinkish hue on the saddles. An anery is basically black and silver/grey.
I am not sure what "hour glass shape" you mean.
Yes he/she will be able to take a whole pinky. It is amazing what they can swallow in comparison to their head and neck size. I would however offer a small pinky at first, as it is difficult to gauge the size of your baby from the pics.
As for when to feed it, I personally feed my hatchlings every 5-6 days, there is allot of debate about how often. Some feed every 4 days, some every 7. I would give the little one at least 4 days to settle into its new surroundings before trying to feed it. Keep in mind its whole world has changed and it will be stressed from the move.
I hope this helps and I am sure others will offer more info.

Welcome!

Is your snakes belly plain white? It looks like a motley pattern on the back and they have plain white bellies rather than checkers.

Hi Princess and graffixcs,
Yes s/he has a white belly. I'm including the best pic I could get of the barbell shape and the belly. I think s/he likes the cam because the lens is recessed into a hole. S/he kept trying to go into it and so maybe I can get a great mug shot later .

So this would be a motley then and s/he is het for the ghost and striped?
The friend that bought it for me got it from a wholesale fish guy so maybe the label is wrong. Would there be a way to tell outside of being bred? Is there a corn snake genome project I could volunteer her for.

I'm voting motley (shhhh, don't tell anyone, I have been wrong before)

I would guess ghost motley as well. Ghost motleys are also called pastel motleys I believe.

Neat looking snake by the way.

I'm putting a first and final vote for anery motley.

As your snake is a motley it is impossible for it to be het stripe as...well it's a long story but just believe me!

A snake can be het motley or het stripe but as it's homozygous (carrying 2 copies of the gene so that the trait shows up on the snake when you look at it) motley, then it can't be het for stripe as the snakes DNA will not allow for that.

I'm putting in a guess that it had a parent who is a ghost striped-motley and a parent that was het or homo anery and/or motley...those parents would give that kind of result.


Without knowing more I'd say you have an anery motley, perhaps het hypo (hypo + anery = ghost)

Swhitting, pastel motley refers to a ghost genotype with the lighter peach, apricot, cramy colours rather than the one in the pics here.

Oh, the reason I'm saying it's an anery rather than a ghost is that it just doesn't look nearly light enough to me to be a ghost.

I agree, anery motley, and a very pretty one at that. As far as the hourglass shape on the back, it just appears like the motley "circles" are connected. Sometimes they connect to form a type of stipe...aka motley/stripes.

Your little one should definately be able to eat a pink...you would be surprised at what they can get down those little necks. If you are nervous start with the smallest pink you have, or even cut one in half. In no time at all yours will be on fuzzies also.

Congrats, and welcome to the forum...VERY PRETTY snake you have there!