Another Nelson - Different pattern

[Sean Day]

This is a really bad pic I snapped quick when I was cleaning. Just wondering if it would be considered a motley?

[Vanan]

Nice snake but don't really see why it would be a motley. But then again you're talking to me about tricolour morphs, bah!

[vanderkm]

Very neat pattern with the connections of the red bands. To me it might be called a partial zig/zag pattern as seen in corns but really looks more like incompletely connected triads. Calling it a zig/zag also avoids any implication that the genetics are established or similar to motley in corns.

I wouldn't call it motley and was suprised that the mostly black honduran was being called a motley - borrowing from cornsnakes I assume - when in corns motley has connected saddles - what would that translate to in a milksnake with triads - connection of the black bands or connection of the red ones?

Even the designation of motley in corns (connected saddle pattern along the whole body, reduced side blotches and patternless belly) is not consistent and is linked genetically with striped pattern that in many snakes it is hard to distinguish whether they are striped, motley or striped-motley based on their appearance alone. Wouldn't want to give the impression that it is the same in milks or that it is a simple recessive inheritence.

Very neat appearing albino though - some of us love tricolor morphs!

mary v.

[Sean Day]

LoL @ Vanan

Thanks Mary that was informative, I cant keep all the corn morphs strait. His mate has a bit of a strange pattern also. They are much different then my other pair as they seem to have almost twice as many red bands.

Sean

[Colonel SB]

Ohh wow that one is stellar, a deffinate keeper for a breeding project

[MarcB]

Sean, don't get me the wrong way here but that snake looks like an albino ruthveni more then a nelsoni, the red nose pigmentation is very common to the ruthveni, high band count on this specimen is also very uncommon on nelsoni....

Just my opinion here, beautiful tri-color regarless...

[Sean Day]

Hi Marc
I was starting to wonder if it was possibly something else. It was sold to me as a nelson and is supposed to come originally from Ken Taylor. Does anyone know what he was working with? Is there any way to tell for sure what it is?

Thanks
Sean

[TheRedDragon]

Wow! That is a really awesome looking snake!