Question about the Bloodred morph!

[cshouston]

I am interested in adding one of these beauties to my small, but ever growing collection. I can't think of a better one to be my first Colubrid, either. However, I had a question about the progression of their color.

The little guy I am looking at in particular would be this one:

http://www.corn-utopia.com/Corn%20Ut...le/-%20012.jpg

However, when looking up the morph I saw pictures similar to:

http://www.cornsnakes.net/gallery/bl056.jpg

As the first picture is of an '08 c.b. hatchling, would I be correct in assuming that the latter photo is of a more mature specimen? The coloration of that baby wouldn't end up being it's final look? I ask because I am so in love with the pure beautiful red look of that morph and would like to raise something similar. Of course, I know no two snakes are exactly alike, so it may be a specific line which ends up so red, but still... something similar would be nice!

[PythonWallace]

Yes, the bloodreds lose their pattern and turn that deep red as they mature. Have you checked out amel blood reds? I worked with both and liked the albino blood reds a little better. They are a little brighter and a little cleaner.

[Demon280z]

I have two Bloodred hets, both female. One is a Sunglow and the other is het Amel. I will be getting a Bloodred Amel (also called Fire) boy to pair to them eventually.

I think if you want to go with a Bloodred, you should go for the Fire! If you haven't seen them, you won't be disappointed. I love the bright red and with the absence of melanin, it looks a lot cleaner.

The picture you posted (adult) is an excellent example of a Bloodred. That is exactly how I would want one to look. However, Most of the ones I have seen never end up looking that nice. I have seen many that never truly lose their entire pattern or have specs of black throughout. Best bet is to see what the parents look like. It takes a LONG time to see the true colors.

[kc261]

The pic of the adult that you took from Don Soderberg of South Mountain Reptile (you really should give credit, and you probably hotlinked which you shouldn't do) is an exceptionally good example of the morph. Not all will develop such a red color; some turn sort of orange. Not all will have their pattern fade out so completely; some will still have a visible pattern.

However, even the exceptional examples start out looking similar to the baby you pictured. If you buy from a good breeder, they can probably show you pics of the parents, which will give you a better idea how your baby will turn out. Some of the biggest breeders may not keep track on an individual basis which baby came from which parents, because they just have too much to keep track of.

I will say that buying this late in the season, there is a reason the snake hasn't sold yet. You are probably finding leftovers, which mean the best looking individuals have long since sold. Another possibility is that the snake was a slow-starter, and the breeder held it back until it got more established. Or you have some possibility of finding something that a breeder thought about keeping for their own projects but since changed their mind, in which case you might find a really terrific hatchling. I would not consider any of these reasons to pass on the snake, but it is something to be aware of.

Also, I see you have gotten 2 recommendations to consider a fire (amel bloodred) instead of a regular bloodred. I like both morphs, but if it is the deep bloodred color that attracts you, then the fire will not have that. They will be a brighter, but still beautiful red.

[Blue Apple Herps]

They do undergo a drastic color change, and they don't reach their full deep color until 5+ years of age. So even an "adult" may not fully be developed color wise.

[cshouston]

Thanks everyone. I had been looking at the amel bloodreds and was leaning towards those. I think I will wait for '09 hatchlings, too. Thanks and sorry about the hotlinking, I will go with regular links next time.