One of the melanistic sirtalis

[Thamnophis]

One year old female...

[guidofatherof5]

That is a beautiful snake.

[ProXimuS]

All of your snakes are very beautiful!

I'm wondering: What does "melanistic" and "erythristic" mean? I know "erythro" is red and melanin is what makes your skin dark....so I'm guessing they are red versions and dark/black versions of certain species/subspecies?

Sorry for the millions of questions I've posted everywhere. I'm new, still learning, and very curious

[Thamnophis]

All of your snakes are very beautiful!

I'm wondering: What does "melanistic" and "erythristic?" I know "erythro" is red and melanin is what makes your skin dark....so I'm guessing they are red versions and dark/black versions of certain species/subspecies?

Sorry for the millions of questions I've posted everywhere. I'm new, still learning, and very curious

Don't know what that combo will bring. But there is almost certain someone on this forum who knows... Let's wait and see what he/she has to tell us.

[katach]

Beautiful!

[thamneil]

Gorgeous sirtalis. With I could get my hands on him! Why do you always tease me with your snakes? first it was the erythristics, now it's a melanistic! You have a very nice collection.

[d_virginiana]

Beautiful! I love the way the eyes on melanistics are almost all-black.

All of your snakes are very beautiful!

I'm wondering: What does "melanistic" and "erythristic" mean? I know "erythro" is red and melanin is what makes your skin dark....so I'm guessing they are red versions and dark/black versions of certain species/subspecies?

I'm not an expert, so hopefully someone who knows more about it will explain this better, but I think melanistic is hyper-pigmentation, where every pigmented area of the snake is black and there aren't any patterns (like a jaguar is a melanistic leopard) which is why you need melanistics to get snows. Erythristic is hyper-pigmentation of red(or is it yellow?), but the snake will keep its pattern. And an anerythristic would be a snake with no red/yellow pigment, so it would have a normal pattern, but it would be black and grey looking.
Hopefully that helps..

[Thamnophis]

Don't know what that combo will bring. But there is almost certain someone on this forum who knows... Let's wait and see what he/she has to tell us.

Now I see I misread the question. I thought you meant what you would get when you breed a melanistic with an erythristic garter snake. Who knows this?Melanism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Erythrism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[ProXimuS]

Hey cool, Thanks both of yall! You know I never even thought about looking it up on wikipedia

[EasternGirl]

Lovely snake!