The Bloodred "Gene"

[Darin Chappell]

YEAH!! That's what we should call 'em! LOL

 

[Serpwidgets]

Heh, yeah, I tend to end up leaving out that part in a lot of my rantings on the subject: I DO think that the "expressing the pattern gene and are selectively bred for lots of red" specimens should be called "Bloodred." Same as Amels that are specifically bred to have no white are distinguished as "special" by calling them sunglows.

I honestly wouldn't expect anyone to just drop the name "bloodred" overnight... I would think the following change on a price list would be easy on everyone and would actually get people wanting to call it by the "new" name:

(for top-notch, grade-A red red bloodreds)
Bloodred Cornsnake ("Bloodred" pattern, plus solid deep or bright reds)

(for grade-B, or hets or outcrossed-looking, or whatever)
Diffuse Cornsnake (aka "Bloodred" pattern)

(Or whatever name...)

Mochas were changed to Lavenders. "Pine Island Anerythristic" was changed to (mostly) Charcoal. And of course Opal caught on in a heartbeat but it didn't have other competing names... maybe there are a lot of people who never go on the net and haven't heard of it, but it will probably also be appearing in the latest edition of the CSM, too.

Tacking the new "accepted" name in front of it and keeping the old name would probably go over easily for those who already know the old name.

I also think it is more difficult to continue to try to explain to everyone new that there's all these bizarre special exceptions and nobody ever gets what's going on. People ask about Sunglows and they get a straight simple answer ("It's an amel that has also been selectively bred for no white") and show a pic of an amel and a sunglow and they understand it within a matter of minutes.

If they ask about "Bloodreds" the straight simple answer would be, "It's got the 'whatever' pattern and has also been selectively bred for lots of red coloration." Same deal, IMO.

Darin:

I do know what you mean, I've been using the subject as an anti-boredom tool, too, hehe. The big problem I would see coming from that would be that other people would hear the name Faded, think it's cool, know they fetch a good price, and start applying it to "stonewashed" and Hurricane-like, and other morphs that have been selectively bred for faded out saddle centers. (There are a lot of non-mutated corns out there that could easily be described as "faded.")

I've been trying to find something in Latin or Greek or whatever that "describes it accurately" and "sounds cool" because I really think both criteria will have to be met for it to be accepted.

 

[Marcel Poots]

I find this all very fascinating and I want to remind Rich that Darin asked for a picture of an original Bloodred.. LOL hint hint. I know you are loaded with work Rich but if you do find the time I am also one of many that would love to see a pic of one. Currently I am obsessed with Bloodred. ;-)

Marcel (Holland)

 

[ecreipeoj]

Very Old Bloodred

I have this very old Bloodred which is from the old Bill/Kathy Love Bloodred line. I remember the name being used as descriptive of "Dried" Blood.

This guy also has somewhat of a striped pattern as well, which a lot of the old Bloodreds did.

 

[ecreipeoj]

Belly Shot

This guys belly is pure white, but has red speckling.

 

[ecreipeoj]

Another Belly shot

White with more red speckling.

 

[Carlos]

This is the original bloodred that I have. Older than Tutankamen. LOL, but he is from the original ones.

 

[Carlos]

This is the belly.

 

[Charlie]

Okay, Bloods are my favorite morph (or whatever you want to call them). I own a few but they are nothing like I want them to look like. How would one go about trying to re-establish the old looking ones? I mean I know you would have to be very picky about what you use for your parent stock. My oldest blood is about 2 years old and he is more orangish-red with his back saddles present. HIs under belly is very speckled with orange. I am not pleased with him at all. Could what he looks like be caused from what he is het for? I believe he is het for motley and 66% het charcoal. I have not got to prove him out for either of these but plan to next year.

Where would someone go to buy good (top quality) bloods to start a project?

I attached a picture of him....tell me what grade you would consider him.

 

[Marcel Poots]

From uphere that looks like a very decent Bloodred. They trun darker after three years and they will even loose pattern after their second year. My guess is that you might end up with a very good Bloodred.

 

[ecreipeoj]

How would one go about trying to re-establish the old looking ones? I mean I know you would have to be very picky about what you use for your parent stock.

I attached a picture of him....tell me what grade you would consider him.

I think your Blood is very nice.

I know what you mean though. Look at this Amel Blood that I bought this year to get some projects going. I think he would qualify as an Orange Amel "Difused" Corn. The Amel he is breeding is much redder than he is. I am starting to breed more red into his offspring already and have acquired Amel Bloods that are red, to bred his offspring to. I think he is missing something that the old style had, but I don't know what it is.

I think you have to decide what look you want your Bloods to have and then try to aquire breeding stock as close to that look as you can find. Then you have to spend years breeding them towards your definition of what a perfect Blood looks like. You might get lucky and buy the right breeding stock and get what you are looking for in the first years breeding, but you still have to account for the difference between hatchling Bloods and adults.

I have bred my very old Blood above to several morphs and hopefully, I will be able to produce some of the old style Bloods in the process. I am not so sure if the "Old Style" Bloods are my favorite anyway. They look like dried blood on a sidewalk. I think improvements can be made to the old style, but it is personal preference.

 

[Charlie]

I know what you mean. I really like my bloods...I just wish they had more of that uniform deep red to them. That's what I like about the bloods....when they reach adulthood and get that uniform color. I really like the example Don has on his for sale page....I believe that it is the first example picture he shows. That is what I am looking for in a blood. I know you have to account for the difference between babies and adults. I also like the examples Rich has up on his site. I just wish I could go to the Daytona Show and hand pick one from him.

Would it be easier to start from hatchlings or would it be better to buy adults? I think really all I would need is a male bloodred that I think is what I desire and breed him to my female blood.

I am really into the pewters though and just bought a female charcoal het pewter. I have a female pewter from Rich and I just love how she is turning out. She is everything I wanted in my pewters....now if I could just get that in a bloodred :nope:

 

[fradine]

Rich,
do you have pics of those Blood reds?? original strain you mentioned.

Fradine

 

[rachel132002]

So basically when looking for bloodreds look for a good grey head and as whiter belly as possible and with as dark red as poss? I got my eyes set on some over here as a lot of his stuff is from your lines Rich so can't be bad stock lol!