INTERSPECIES HYBRID
Gold Dust (aka: golddust)
Most Commonly Used Name: Gold Dust
Mode of Genetic Inheritance: Codominant (Ultramel) & Recessive (Caramel)
Morph Type: Mutation Compound – recessive & codominant
Note: Ultramel is the heterozygote of the the mutation, Ultra.
Eye Color: Dark Red or black pupil & body ground colored iris
See ULTRamel for an explanation of the genetic mechanics of the ULTRA codominant mutation.
Note: Ultramel is the heterozygote of the the mutation, Ultra.
INTERSPECIES HYBRID
The founder (discoverer) of the Ultra mutation states that he originally paired a gray rat snake with a corn snake, in the discovery of this mutation. By the time most of us were made aware of the HYBRID origins of Ultra types (originally named Ultra Hypos), we had already bred it into many other corn snake mutations. It was therefore collectively decided that in so much as it would be virtually impossible to track down (and eliminate) each and every snake containing the Ultra gene (surely thousands of individuals in the collections of hundreds of breeders and keepers), the mutation would be treated like other pure corns. In so much as it generally did not alter the corn snake appearance, it was known that even if peoples’ snakes had the Ultra gene mutation, they would either be unaware or could avoid mentioning it. Those of you out there that are boycotting HYBRID corns are advised to avoid acquisition of suspicious-looking corns with the word ULTRA in the morph description. Likewise, purists that admirably endeavor to promote only the genetically purest of corns are urged to question corns that have suspiciously abnormal features that have been historically identified as hybrid markers. Not that all such markers are proof of alien origins. Especially because of the difficulty and expense of formulating a DNA base line for all North American colubrid snake species, and in the absence of expensive DNA testing to identify authenticity of pure corns, without obvious visual and/or genetic distinctions, identification of legitimately pure (or impure) corns is difficult at this time, if not completely impossible.
Other than appearance, the primary (and inherent) value of Ultra Type Corns (Ultras and Ultramels and their color and pattern compounds) is their mode of inheritance. Since they are dominant to wild type, pairing any Ultra Type to ANY Amel corn (or Het thereof) will render Ultra types in the F1 (first) generation of out-crossing to non-Ultra type corns. The results of pairing an Ultra-type with a non-Amel corn (or Het thereof) will render Mendelian results that parallel recessively-inherited mutations; no Ultra-types will result and all progeny will be Het for Ultra.
Other than appearance, the primary (and inherent) value of Ultra Type Corns (Ultras and Ultramels and their color and pattern compounds) is their mode of genetic inheritance. Since they are co-dominant to Amelanistics, pairing any Ultra Type to ANY Amel corn (or Het thereof) will render Ultra types in the F1 (first) generation of out-crossing to non-Ultra type corns. The results of pairing an Ultra-type with a non-Amel corn (or Het thereof) will render Mendelian results that parallel recessively-inherited mutations; no Ultra-types will result and all progeny will be Het for Ultra when bred to non-Amels.
The Gold Dust corn is the aggregate of the heterozygous version of the Ultra codominant mutation, Ultramel and the recessively inherited color mutation, Caramel. In as much as it is not simple to distinguish between some homozygous versions of the Ultra gene mutation and the heterozygous versions, Ultramel, like most breeders, unless we know for sure that we are selling Ultra Caramels, we market both versions as Gold Dust corns. Therefore, you are assured of getting at least a Gold Dust, but it may alternately be an Ultra Caramel.
What to expect:
As neonates, both Ultra Caramel and Gold Dust are very similar, but unlike their Ultramel cousins, distinction via eye pupil color is fairly revealing in the first weeks following hatching. The eye pupils of most Gold Dusts are ruby or wine-colored, but like Ultramels, the pupils darken with maturity, and are virtually black in most adults. The iris should be a close match to the general ground coloration of the snake.
Neonates are more gold colored than their adult counterparts, that often have the intensely yellow color of their Butter cousins. Except for dark pupils, I have some adult Gold Dusts that are virtually identical to most Butter or Amber corns. Some adults retain the black blotch margins, while others are devoid of any black scales.
Important Note:
The advertising images on our web site are representations of the average adult example of each morph. These images are not renderings of the actual animals being offered, (except for uniquely offered snakes found in the SURPLUS section of this web site). We do not provide pictures of individual hatchling snakes for sale, nor do we recommend that you ever choose a new pet based on an image of its neonatal form. Corns change so dramatically from hatchling to adult, they will NEVER have the same colors or contrasts throughout maturity. While most of the snakes we produce will mature to resemble the featured adult image(s) on our web site, unlike manufactured products that are respectively clones of each other, the nature of polygenic variation results in each animal being similar but not identical to others of its morph. The snake we select for you may not mature to be identical to the pictured examples, but will be chosen based on our experience of observing which neonates will mature to properly represent their respective morph. We take this responsibility very seriously, and therefore publish the guarantee that we will exchange your SMR snake if it does not mature to be like our advertised examples.
