Whether you’re new to snake ownership or a seasoned pro, corn snakes are a fabulous pet. Easy to care for and relatively small, corn snakes are awesome as first-time pets. One of the coolest part of corn snake ownership is learning about the hundreds of different colors and patterns that are available. These differences in colors and patterns are called “morphs.”
Corn snakes can have saddles or spots, stripes or solids, scales or no scales, and can come in a rich variety of shades. It all depends on the morph. Snake morphs can be divided into three types: unique colors, unique patterns, or unique scale type. These differences result from selective breeding; that is, breeding snakes to emphasize one trait over another. That’s why corn snakes are so distinctive and diverse. Here are some of the most beautiful types of corn snake morphs out there.
#1 Wild Corn Snakes
Corn snake colors in the wild feature a range of beautiful colors. Native to the southeast and central U.S., wild corn snakes are sometimes mistaken for venomous copperheads. Corn snakes, however, are generally very easygoing and nonvenomous. These traits make them ideal for beginning snake owners and experienced reptile enthusiasts. Wild corn snakes feature warm colors of gold, tan-white, gray, black, and burnt red. It’s the perfect blend for hiding among the autumn leaves. If you’re looking for the original type of corn snake, wild corn snakes are where it all begins.
Average cost of a Wild Corn Snake: $30 to $45
#2 Amelanistic (Albino) Corn Snake
Albino corn snakes, also called amelanistic cornsnakes or “amels,” are a lovely corn snake morph and one of the most popular. Amelanistic corn snakes are bred to remove the gene for melanin, the component that gives snake skin its black, brown, and grey tones. Interestingly, amels were one of the first corn snake morphs to be discovered. The herpetologist Dr. Bernard Bechtel began breeding snakes that lacked the gene for melanin to each other. Soon, he had created an amelanistic corn snake, otherwise known as an albino.
You might think that an albino snake would be entirely white, but they’re not. When the melanin gene is selected out, the other colors in the corn snake’s makeup become more prominent. Amelanistic corn snake morphs have a creamy or pale peach ground color. Their saddles feature vivid spots of pinks, corals, oranges, and bright reds. Unlike other kinds of corn snake morphs, the amels lack a sharp black ring or border around their saddles. Like other kinds of albinos, amelanistic corn snakes have eyes that range from a bright bubblegum pink to an orange-red. In all, amels are a lovely morph that can combine with other varieties to produce a range of colors and types.
Average cost of a Amelanistic (Albino) Corn Snake: $40 to $50
#3 Anerythristic Corn Snake
Anerythristic corn snakes are essentially the “flip side” of albinos or amels. In an amelanistic corn snake, the gene for melanin has been bred out, allowing the oranges, pinks, and reds to show. However, in an anerythristic corn snake, it’s pretty much the opposite.
Anerythristic corn snakes, also called “anerys,” lack erythrin. Erythrin is a component that’s responsible for giving corn snakes those bright reds and oranges. With that component absent, the result is a corn snake morph where beautiful grays, blacks, and browns dominate the color scene. Anerythristic snakes will be all about the gray scale. Anerythristic corn snake morphs will usually have a light gray base color and light gray-brown saddles and spots throughout. Anerys corn snake eyes are often a soft gray.
Anerythristic corn snake patterns have an elegant, classic look with shadings of black, brown, and grey. Because this is a morph that affects the color, not the pattern, anerys can come in a variety of pattern types. Some can have bellies with elegant checkers of dark brown against a creamy tan. Others can have splashes of silver spots against a black coffee-colored ground.
Anerythristic corn snakes come in two major types. Type As are lighter and softer, with a soft light brown and smoky gray pattern. Type A snakes will have a sharply defined contrast between their ground color and their saddles or markings. Older type A anerys will develop a slight yellow tinge around their sides and neck area.
Slightly rarer and more sought-after, the type Bs, also called charcoal corn snakes, tend to be darker. Unlike the type A anerys, the type Bs have less dramatic contrast between their ground color and their patterns. Unlike the type As, the charcoal corn snakes usually have little to no yellow or brown tones in their coloration.
Average cost of a Anerythristic Corn Snake: $50 to $60
#4 Candy Cane Corn Snake
With a fun name like this, you can’t help but be intrigued by this gorgeous amelanistic corn snake. Candy cane corn snakes look just like the Christmas treat: white, red, and pink with pinkish-red patches on a light pinkish-white background. The ideal candy cane morph contains very little if any orange color. With its lovely light garnet pink eyes, the candy cane morph is one of the classic examples of an amelanistic morph.
Average cost of a Candy Cane Corn Snake: $70
#5 Butter Corn Snake
It’s easy to see why this amelanistic snake morph got its name. This snake morph was formed by combining snakes with amelanistic and caramel genes. As a result, the butter corn snake has a light ground color dramatically enhanced by flecks of striking yellow that actually do look like butter. As hatchlings, the butter corn snake’s saddle patches look more orange-red, or like a light yellow snow cornsnake. As the butter corn snake grows into adulthood, the yellow tint emerges and becomes more prominent. Like all amelanistic snakes, the butter corn snake has lovely pink-red eyes that complement the amber-yellow coloration.
Average cost of a Butter Corn Snake: $30 to $70
#6 Lavender Corn Snake
One of the most delicately colored cornsnake morphs is the lavender corn snake. A lovely anerythristic corn snake morph, the lavender corn snake has a base color that ranges from a grayish-silver to an almost purple in the large darker-colored “saddles.” A fascinating feature of lavender corn snakes is that their pigmentation gradually changes with time. As baby hatchlings, lavender corn snakes are darker and browner. As they mature, pinkish-red coloration begins to take over. Snake enthusiasts generally value snakes with a clear purplish color, so lavender corn snakes for sale may widely vary in price.
Average cost of a Lavender Corn Snake: $40 to $80
#7 Blizzard Corn Snake
If you’re trying to find a true all-white amelanistic cornsnake with no underlying pattern, the blizzard corn snake is worth a look. Corn snake breeders mixed an amelanistic corn snake with a charcoal snake. This combination created an all-white snake morph with no distinctive orange, black, or gray skin color. As a result, the blizzard corn snake looks as a sculptor carved it from solid alabaster or marble. Some blizzard cornsnakes have light yellow patterning on their stomachs or saddles. A blizzard corn snake for sale will vary in price depending on purity of color.
Average cost of a Blizzard Corn Snake: $70 to $100
#8 Black Corn Snake
Black corn snakes are a type of anerythristic corn snake. These snakes, also called “anerys,” lack erythrin. Erythrin is the compound that produces orange and red pigments in the snake’s coloration. First, these snakes are bred to take out the red-orange coloration. What’s left are the dramatic blacks and grays that make up the coloration of the black corn snake. Typical black corn snakes will feature a light silver-gray ground color like limestone. Over that ground color, the black corn snake will have dramatic contrasting saddles of dark blackish-brown. These are surrounded by jet-black borders. In all, the black corn snake is a beautiful and classic morph. Another common term for these black corn snakes are “Anerys A.” Anerys A snakes are distinguished by their sharp definition and contrast.
Average cost of a Black Corn Snake: $40 to $60
#9 Charcoal Corn Snake
Charcoal corn snakes are closely related to black corn snakes. Both types are anerythristic corn snake morphs, meaning they lack red-orange pigment. Anerythristic snakes have scales that range from gray to jet black and brown. Anerys are divided into two types, Anery A or Anery B, depending on how contrasting they are. Black corn snakes, with their sharper and more vivid contrast, are Anery A. Charcoal corn snakes, or Anery B snakes, have a softer, less defined contrast between their saddles and their ground color. Charcoal corn snakes may also have almost no brown tint, though there may sometimes be yellowish streaks near the jaw and neckline. Overall, Anery B corn snakes are rarer than their Anery A cousins and may cost more.
Average cost of a Charcoal Corn Snake: $40 to $60
#10 Miami Phase Corn Snake
Unlike many corn snake morphs, Miami Phase corn snakes aren’t selectively bred. Instead, Miami Phase corn snakes occur naturally in the wilds of Florida, as their name suggests. They are a study in contrasts with their silvery-gray background color punctuated by bright orange-red blotches. If you’re interested in buying a Miami corn snake, look for nice, sharp black outlines around the orange patches. A clean contrast between the orange coloration and the silver background is also very desirable.
Average cost of a Miami Phase Corn Snake: $35 to $65
#11 Palmetto Corn Snake
Palmetto corn snakes are a new and eye-catching morph that has received a great deal of attention in recent years. Palmetto corn snakes feature a white, patternless base coat that resembles the solid white coloring of a blizzard corn snake. However, the palmetto corn snake is speckled all over with tiny colored freckles. These teeny spots can range from light tan to dark brown, like Appaloosa horses. However, some palmetto cornsnakes feature orange speckles or even dramatic flecks of scarlet like little droplets of blood. Elegant and distinctive, the palmetto corn snake is a snake morph that’s getting a lot of attention.
Average cost of a Palmetto Corn Snake: $600 to $1500
#12 Bloodred Corn Snake
With a stunning color that reminds you of exotic cinnabar, this dark orange-red cornsnake morph is a beauty. A combinatin mutation that catches the eye with its deeply scarlet tone, the bloodred corn snake may appear to be a solid color or may have more distinct patches. As hatchlings, bloodred corn snakes may have more distinct markings. As adults, however, the markings fade and these snakes will tend to have an almost solid red ground color. Ideally, the blood red corn snake’s patches have little to no black outlines around their saddle patterns. Vivid and distinctive, these snakes are a must-see.
Average cost of a Bloodred Corn Snake: $40 to $50
#13 Okeetee Corn Snake
The Okeetee corn snake is an increasingly popular South Carolina snake morph that comes close to the earthy red-yellow skin color of its wild cousins. The striking colors of the Okeetee corn snake evoke the autumn tones of the Carolina landscape. The ground color of the Okeetee cornsnake is a vibrant solid orange. On their backs, the Okeetee cornsnake has saddle patches that are even more vivid, ranging from deep blood orange to a near-maroon. However, their most distinctive feature is the thick, jet-black border around their saddles. Snake enthusiasts love these deep colors and rich contrasts.
Average cost of a Okeetee Corn Snake: $60 to $100
#14 Caramel Corn Snake
The name “caramel corn snake” is perfect for this simple morph. Through selective breeding, the red-orange gene in the caramel corn snake has been de-emphasized. This gene change allows the snake’s natural yellow-brown pigmentation to shine through. The result is a snake whose rich butter-yellow and rich brown coloration reminds you of classic caramel corn. At first, the caramel corn snake will look like anerys cornsnakes. Their coloration will be dark grayish with a few traces of yellow. As it grows into adulthood, however, the yellow tones develop. When fully mature, the vivid patches of yellow stand out against the gray ground color. This is a beautiful snake whose warm coloration suggests sun on limestone rocks.
Average cost of a Caramel Corn Snake: $30 to $70
#15 Scaleless Corn Snake
It’s hard to imagine a snake without scales. Scaleless corn snakes came from breeding normal corn snakes to the Texas rat snake, a slightly different variety. Because of this breeding, these snakes have no hard scales on their backs to protect their soft under-skin. (You can still see a pattern. The skin carries the pattern, not the scales.) Fortunately, scaleless cornsnakes retain the scales on their belly to prevent abrasion or scraping from the sand or substrate. The belly scales also help the scaleless corn snake move around, much like the rubber on the bottom of a shoe. Extra care should be taken in handling these soft-skinned snakes.
Average cost of a Scaleless Corn Snake: $200
#16 Stripe Corn Snake
The name says it all. These beautiful morphs have a clear pattern of four long, thin stripes extending in a long, straight line from neck to tail. The ground color of the stripe corn snake is solid and their bellies are clear. The genes for stripes affect only the snake’s overall pattern, so striped snakes can occur in any color. What’s fascinating and cool about the stripe corn snake is that the stripes along the snake’s back are color-coordinated with the ground color. A gold dust striped corn snake, for example, may have a solid yellow-gold background with stripes in a deeper amber. Overall, these snakes look elegant and classic.
Average cost of a Stripe Corn Snake: $40 to $60, although unique color morphs may cost more.
#17 Tessera Corn Snake
This is a complex and beautifully patterned corn snake morph. A tessera is a single square used in ancient Roman tile, and it’s easy to see why this morph got that name. The tessera corn snake is a morph with a clear and strong stripe all the way down its body. On the sides, the pattern breaks up into squares like the blocks of a mosaic pattern. The patterning is an intricate mix of ochre browns, whites, and blacks. In addition, there are also albino morphs with this distinctive tessera pattern. Prices will vary depending on rarity.
Average cost of a Tessera Corn Snake: $70 to $100
#18 Plasma Corn Snake
If you love the subtle grayscale look of snakes or reptiles in the wild, you may appreciate the delicate coloration of the plasma corn snake. This morph is a combination of an anerythristic lavender corn snake with a diffused corn snake. The hatchlings emerge looking purplish-gray like a storm cloud. As adults, the plasma corn snake will usually feature large saddles of a dark gray against a somewhat lighter gray background. The effect is subtle and understated, even elegant. Plasma varieties may be combined with other morphs for different color combinations.
Average cost Plasma Corn Snake: $70 to $125
#19 Motley Corn Snake
The word “motley” means “diverse in appearance, variegated,” and that’s definitely true of motley cornsnakes. Motley morphs are pattern morphs, so this means that motley corn snakes can come in almost any color. In a motley corn snake, the back pattern consists of long patches. These back patches can fuse to look like a ladder or can form parallel stripes along the snake’s whole side. Sometimes the back patches can form shapes that look almost like squares or cubes. Other times, the patterns on a motley corn snake can be rounded and oval and resemble light-colored thumbprints down the snake’s back. Motley cornsnake patches can also have an edge-flared look like a double dovetail joint in carpentry. In short, motley corn snakes are as variegated and distinct as their name suggests.
Average cost of a Motley Corn Snake: $50 to $80
#20 Strawberry Amel Corn Snake
The majority of strawberry amel corn snake morphs are known for bright colors ranging from pinkish-red or coral undertones. The process of breeding these snakes is multi-step and not straight forward. The first step involves breeding out the black or gray pigmentation, to reveal the brighter reds, whites, yellows, and orange. Next, breeders work with these tones, producing amel corn snakes that are prominently pink.
For instance, strawberry amel corn snakes are ballerina-pink, laced with patches that are pinkish-orange. Their eyes, which resemble pink tourmaline, complement their darker patterns which stand out against their pink ground color. Others like the bubblegum snow stripes have a ground color that is pinkish-white and resembles bubblegum (hence their name) and have yellow coloration along the jaws and neck. Champagne snow stripe corn snakes are prominently rose pink and are faintly striped.
The pricing for pink corn snakes varies depending on how uncommon they are.
Average cost of a Strawberry Amel Corn Snake: $40 to $50
#21 Amber Corn Snake
Corn snakes that have a yellow appearance can either be amelanistic, such as the butter corn snake which is bred by mixing amelanistic genes with caramel genes, or, like the amber corn snake, which is a mix of caramel and hypomelanistic (hypo) genes. Just like with amelanistic corn snakes, hypomelanism reduces black pigmentation, allowing the brighter colors to shine through.
The yellow ground color of the amber corn snake develops with time; hatchlings have coffee-colored blotches set against a whitish/grayish ground color. The mottles take on a lighter brown/ caramel color by adulthood, creating a beautiful contrast against the yellow ground color.
A variety of amber corn snake morphs can be achieved by introducing the desired recessive traits. For instance, mixing caramel, hypo genes and stripe genes yields the amber stripe corn snake.
Average cost of an Amber Corn Snake: $45 to $60
#22 Whiteout Corn Snake
Whiteout corn snakes and blizzards are the two most common white corn snakes. Breeding for both morphs can seem quite odd as to achieve the white ground color, the black in charcoal corn snakes is selectively bred out.
Whiteouts are sometimes confused for blizzards. However, whiteout corn snakes have a plain underbelly while blizzards have patterns on their bellies. As well, whiteouts are a mix of amelanistic, charcoal and diffused genes, whereas blizzards lack diffused genes.
At birth, whiteout corn snakes are pinkish, and their pure white color only fully shows at maturity. Their eyes retain their striking dark-pink color even in adulthood.
Average cost of a White out Corn Snake: $200 onwards
#23 Hypomelanistic Corn Snake
Hypomelanistic corn snakes mostly have dark orange patterns, superimposed against a lighter orange ground color. They include morphs such as the strawberry corn snake whose ground color is a lightish-yellow, or the christmas corn snake that has a darker ground color.
The breeding process for these snakes eliminates black and brown colors, allowing the brighter colors to emerge, ranging from pinkish-orange to sunset orange. Patterns on orange corn snakes can be variegated as the breeding affects color and not their pattern. The morphs can feature stripes, saddles, motles or solids, such as the striped sunglow which has the distinctive deep color of a blood orange. The cost of acquiring these striking morphs will depend on their rarity, color intensity and distinctiveness of pattern.
Average cost of an Orange Corn Snake: $40 to $120
#24 Kastanie corn snake
Kastanie is a recessive mutation first discovered in Germany. Although they appear anerythristic as hatchlings, Kastanie corn snakes take on a dark-brown ground color in adulthood, which is why they also go by the name “chestnut”.
Selective breeding of Kastanies can result in striking patterns that vary depending on gene combination, such as the speckly stripes on the Kastanie terrazzo, the full-length mid-dorsal stripe in the Kastanie tessera or the yellow/orange mottles of the Kastanie motley
Average price of a Kastanie Corn Snake: $100 to $200
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, corn snakes are a fascinating pet. Easygoing and adaptable, corn snakes are a great place to begin reptile ownership. The more you learn about corn snake morphs, the more intriguing it becomes. With their variety of colors, patterns, and scale types, there’s bound to be a corn snake out there for almost anyone.
