Standardized Cal King Terminology

[Sasheena]

With Cornsnakes, there is a lot of standardized terminology. Always someone new coming up with something new, but only those with the genetics to back up the name really stick around.

I was thinking that it would be nice to have a discussion as to the "correct" terminology for different "phases" of cal kings. Discussion of the genetics behind the different groups is important also... because "snakey A" is "aztec-ish" it's important to discuss if this is a "look" or a "line"... if it won't breed true, then it's important to note that any comment that a snake is "het" for this trait is made by someone who is "misled".

Photos would help the discussion a lot.

Some of the names I can think of off the top of my head that would start off the discussion are:

High White
Blizzard
Snow
Hypomelanistic
Amelanistic (lavendar and not lavendar)
Ghost

Some others:
50-50
banana
reverse stripe
aztec
mozaic

Anyway... please feel free to post and share your knowledge with the rest of us. Qualifications/reports on experiments can add some depth to the discussion.

 

[reptilebreeder]

With Cornsnakes, there is a lot of standardized terminology. Always someone new coming up with something new, but only those with the genetics to back up the name really stick around. .

I use to breed CA kings, but got out of breeding native herps a couple years ago. But I'll toss my experiences in and see how they compare with everyone else.

High White
Blizzard
Snow
Hypomelanistic
Amelanistic (lavendar and not lavendar)
Ghost.

Except for the high white, the others are mostly genetically named true (and standardized) morphs.

Some others:
50-50
banana
reverse stripe
aztec
mozaic

.

These (and the high white) are for the most part produced "variably". My banana lines produced; normals, aberrant, wildly abbarent (seen them called aztecs, crazy, etc) and high yellows (banana) and reverse stripes.
Same with my high whites. The 50/50's are a little more true, because they usually come from desert phase CA kings from certain localities that have wide white bands.
In my opinion the names for the most part are fairly standardized, as above. Reverse stripes, 50/50, Bananas, are all pretty self explanatory and obvious. The Crazy, Aztec, and Mosiac's seem to be not standardized, though I think they mean the same thing. So as long as people know that they aren't dominant, co-dominant, or whatever applies then I think for the most part Ca kings are as "standardized" as Corns, even more so in my opinion than say Bearded Dragons, or Leo's, but that may be my own "missperception", since I don't know much about the production of those lizard morphs.

 

[Nate]

Good subject matter. Could someone please elaborate on "Aztecs" verse aberrant patterned Cal Kings? And at what point do you think animals exhibiting these traits should be "bred true" before they are sold as such?

 

[reptilebreeder]

Good subject matter. Could someone please elaborate on "Aztecs" verse aberrant patterned Cal Kings? And at what point do you think animals exhibiting these traits should be "bred true" before they are sold as such?

Simply put an Aztec is an aberrant pattern CA King. Where the line is drawn "officially" I don't know. Generally it is when they are high white and the black is no longer bands, but "half bands" looking like little black boxes, many times alternating sides, like a chess board.

I never bought or sold them as being hets or breeding true. I wasn't aware that was a problem, if it is I think the fix is in educating the buying public. As I mentioned in my previous post the 50/50's breed fairly true, because they are just a slight "refinement" from certain localities of naturally occuring "high white" (where the white bands are at least as wide as the black) kings. I had a couple generations of Bananas, and high white, and they still produced everything in between. It is the same as maybe breeding your two most orange corns to try and get oranger corns, or picking two blair's phase Grey Bands with the widest orange saddles to try and get next generations to produce them with better, wider saddles. You still get a variety of normal looking, intermediates, and top end looking animals.

 

[Nate]

Thanks for answering my questions. I don't think it is a "problem", however, I always wondered what the difference was between Aztecs and aberrants especially when they are being sold on the same table or ad. And as far as "bred true," I wasn't just refering to "Aztecs." Sorry if that was vague.