The Palmetto corn snake is one of the most unique and sought-after morphs in the corn snake hobby. Known for its stunning leucistic appearance with subtle flecking, this incompletely dominant mutation has captivated breeders and enthusiasts since its discovery.
In this detailed guide, we'll explore the origins of the Palmetto corn snake, its genetic inheritance, breeding history, market status, and why it's confirmed as a pure Pantherophis guttatus.
The Discovery and First Breeding of Palmetto Corn Snakes
In 2009, Don Soderberg of South Mountain Reptiles (SMR) acquired the world's first known captive Palmetto corn snake—a wild-caught adult male from South Carolina. At the time, this was the only Palmetto in captivity, and its genetics were completely unknown.
To preserve the mutation, Don paired the male with a receptive Amelanistic (Amel) female. Rather than risk shipping the rare male first, he sent the female to South Carolina for breeding. After confirmed copulation, the female returned to Texas, and the male was shipped safely afterwards.
This cautious approach paid off. The initial pairing produced heterozygous offspring (hets for Palmetto) in 2010. By 2012, breeding hets together and back to the original male yielded the first visual homozygous Palmettos.
"The rest—as they say—is now corn snake history."Why Is It Called "Palmetto"?
Naming new corn snake morphs is tricky—most use colors, foods, or patterns (e.g., Candy Cane, Bloodred). But the Palmetto's appearance varies dramatically between individuals.
Don rejected descriptive names that might not fit all offspring. Instead, friends Daryl Camby and Jim Godfrey suggested Palmetto after South Carolina's nickname: The Palmetto State. This geographic name ensures it never "disappoints" visually and ties directly to the snake's origin.
Palmetto Corn Snake Market History and Pricing
The Palmetto was carefully managed to maintain value and rarity:
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2010: First heterozygotes produced
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2011: Limited breedings (only 3 het females)
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2012: First visual Palmettos sold for $4,000 USD each (females only)
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2015: First males and heterozygotes released to the market
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2025: 15 years later Palmettos are priced from $200 to $600 depending on morph, with Scaleless Palmettos and Microscale reaching still into the thousands.
This controlled release prevented market flooding—unlike many corn snake morphs that quickly became common. Today, classic Palmettos still command premium prices, while combos with other morphs (e.g., Scaleless Palmetto, Lavender Palmetto) are even more valuable.
Palmetto Corn Snakes Today
Palmettos have been combined with dozens of other morphs, creating breathtaking variants:
Classic/Normal Palmetto: White with red/orange/gray flecks.
Anery Palmetto: Grayscale (black/gray flecks on white).
Amel (Albino) Palmetto: Brighter, with yellow/orange tones.
Blizzard Palmetto: Mostly pure white (amel + charcoal combo).
Caramel Palmetto: Warm caramel undertones, often patternless.
Scaleless Palmetto: Velvet-like texture, no scales (high-end, e.g., het amel at $3,000).
Ultramel Palmetto: Enhanced amel-like brightness.
The picture above of pipping Palmettos is from the pairing of two corns het for Palmetto. The F1 generation did not, of course, yield any visual palmettos.
