Sonoran gopher snake x corn snake hybrids

Back in August I hatched out a small clutch of 5 F1 hybrids. The mother is a long-term captive Sonoran Gopher snake from the Pheonix, Az area who had never been bred. The father is an albino corn snake. My hope was to create hybrids that would be het albino and some time in the future either line breed for albinos or create a separate line that was also het albino to eventually get albinos. Well much to my surprise when the eggs hatched 3 of them hatched out albino and two were normal. Of the babies one was about the size of a newly hatched pure corn snake, 2 were about halfway between the size of a pure baby gopher and a corn. And 2 were about twice the size of the smallest being a little bigger than a pure gopher baby.
The following photos are the two largest ones as of today






These 2 are both very docile and easy going while the other 2 albinos like to bite and show that famous pit attitude.

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This is the other 2 albinos… I will post an updated picture of the other normal as soon as he is done shedding…


She gets her bald head pattern from her mother


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It’s almost a creepy red Skull on her head, absolutely stunning still though.

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Okay so the other normal finally finished shedding and I wanted to share. He was the first to hatch and next to smallest, but eats great and looks to be doing his best to catch up to his larger siblings.

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Chunky healthy looking boy! Loving how big these are already! Wouldn’t mind getting one of these one day myself. Or producing.

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I love the gradient from blood red to almost chocolate brown in them saddles.

The natural pattern on their heads is amazing, from certain angles it’s like a stencilled skull. You’d shit your pants if you were just minding your business in the tall grass and walked upon that face. :joy:

I’d just like to say @thebeardedherper that your posts are really getting me interested in colubrids more and more. Thank you.

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Thanks for the kind words, I’m always happy to spark an interest.


The first week after they all hatched and shed the first time.

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That color contrast though omg beautiful!!!

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Just realized I never posted the parents…

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This fella just shed… btw got them sexed finally and have 2.3 couldn’t ask for a better ratio in a small clutch

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A couple update pictures. Been warming them back up and and these two just shed…

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I love these guys :grin:

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How are temperaments going and changing as they age?

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Well right now they are pretty much the same as I havent really been handling them through the winter. I gave one to a friend at the Arizona Herp Society and of the remaining 4 - 2 are pretty relaxed while the other 2 are hissy little things lol.

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The largest of the Sonoran gopher x corn snake hybrids… both shed this week. 1.1
Male is the normal, female is the albino. NFS

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Still in love with these guys. They just keep getting prettier and prettier. Do they have the loud hiss capabilities like gophers?

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They haven’t really hissed much at all though one of them does strike a lot when you first get him out.

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Nothing better than ropes with attitudes. As long as they settle once out. I got a corn that’s like that. Tail buzzing and striking at first but settles pretty quick. Unless food is involved then all bets are off.

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Female # 2. When I went to clean her cage today I noticed something wrapped around her upper jaw and the back of her head. Somehow she managed to get a long hair wrapped up. Got it off with tweezers but she was not happy about the process. I only mention it here because it makes her Jalan looks like it goes back much further than it does. That’s why it looks like she’s making a weird face.


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Male # 2 or as I refer to him… Baldy. Last one to hatch and needed help out of the egg, but has the most attitude.

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