Corn Snake (Snow)

Corn Snake (Snow)

Scientific Name: Pantherophis guttatus
Common Name: Corn Snake

Species Overview

Size: Adults typically reach 3–5 feet (0.9–1.5 m) in length, with a slender, muscular body and smooth, glossy scales.

Appearance: The Snow Corn Snake is a beautifully soft-toned morph that combines the Amelanistic (Albino) and Anerythristic recessive traits, producing a snake that appears white, pale pink, or light lavender depending on temperature and lighting. The Amelanistic gene removes black pigment, while the Anerythristic gene removes red pigment, leaving behind gentle tones of gray, silver, and blush pink. The eyes are ruby red, a signature feature of amelanistic Corn Snakes, and the overall coloration often fades to near-white with age. The result is an elegant, frosted appearance that has made the Snow morph one of the most popular and instantly recognizable in the species.

Distribution: A selectively bred morph of the Corn Snake (P. guttatus), created through the combination of the Amelanistic and Anerythristic recessive genes.

Habitat: Wild Corn Snakes are found across the southeastern United States in forests, meadows, and farmlands. In captivity, Snows thrive in naturalistic terrariums that include soft substrate, gentle climbing branches, and secure hiding areas for comfort and enrichment.

Behaviour: Corn Snakes are crepuscular, most active during dawn and dusk. They are hardy, reliable feeders and thrive under consistent, naturalistic care, making them a favorite choice for both beginners and experienced keepers.

Captive Care

Enclosure: A naturalistic 40-gallon terrarium (36” × 18” × 18”) or larger is ideal for adults. Use soft, loose substrate such as soil or coconut fiber. Provide multiple hides, cork flats, and foliage for security and environmental stimulation.

Temperature & Humidity: Maintain a daytime gradient of 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a basking area around 86–88°F (30–31°C). Allow nighttime drops to 70°F (21°C). Keep humidity between 45–60%, and offer a humid hide during shedding to ensure complete skin release.

Diet: Offer frozen-thawed rodents every 7–10 days for juveniles and every 10–14 days for adults. Prey should be roughly 1.25× the width of the snake’s mid-body.

Behaviour in Captivity: Corn Snakes are active, inquisitive, and thrive in naturalistic enclosures that encourage exploration. They adapt easily to captive life and respond well to consistent feeding and handling routines.

Special Considerations: The Snow Corn Snake’s pale coloration makes it an ideal base for breeding projects involving pastel or pattern morphs. Pairing Snows with morphs such as Tessera, Scaleless, or Hypo can produce unique variations including Scaleless Snow, Snow Tessera, and Coral Snow, each with its own distinctive tone and texture.

Genetics Note

Amelanistic (Recessive)

Removes black pigment, resulting in bright red, orange, and white coloration with red eyes.

Anerythristic (Recessive)

Removes red pigment, producing grayscale coloration when visual alone but creating the pale, frosty Snow phenotype when combined with Amelanistic.

Genetic Combination Summary

The Snow Corn Snake expresses two recessive traits:

• Amelanistic = Removes black pigment, producing white and pink tones

• Anerythristic = Removes red pigment, softening coloration into white and silver shades

Together, these genetics produce a pure, frosty Corn Snake with pastel hues and red eyes. The Snow Corn Snakeremains a timeless favorite in the reptile hobby—an elegant example of how two simple recessive traits can create one of the most visually refined morphs in the species.