Black Corn Snake: Charcoal & Anerythristic Morphs [2026]

What Is a Black Corn Snake?

Black corn snakes are corn snake morphs that display predominantly dark, gray, or near-black coloration. Unlike most color morphs that add brightness, black corn snake morphs work by removing certain pigments — primarily red and yellow — leaving behind the darker browns, grays, and blacks. The most popular black corn snake morphs are anerythristic and charcoal.

Popular Black Corn Snake Morphs

Anerythristic (Anery)

The anerythristic morph removes all red pigment from the corn snake's coloration:

• Colors: Gray, black, brown, and white — no reds or oranges
• Pattern: Black-bordered saddles on a gray-white background
• Eyes: Black or dark gray
• Genetics: Simple recessive — both parents must carry or express the gene
• Appearance change with age: Juvenile anery corn snakes are gray; adults develop more brown tones as yellow pigment increases

There are two forms: Anery A (type A) and Anery B (ghost). Standard anery A is the most common and produces the classic gray-black appearance.

Charcoal

The charcoal morph is similar to anerythristic but also removes yellow pigment:

• Colors: Near-black, dark gray, and stark white — no warm tones at all
• Contrast: High contrast between the dark pattern and pale background
• Genetics: Simple recessive (different gene from anery)
• Adult appearance: Among the darkest corn snake morphs available — some adults appear nearly solid black in dim lighting

Charcoal corn snakes are considered the true "black corn snake" by most hobbyists because of their absence of warm pigments.

Blizzard

The blizzard is a combination of amel (amelanistic) and charcoal:

• Colors: Solid white to pale gray — no pattern, no dark pigment
• Eyes: Red or pink
• Genetics: Both charcoal and amel recessive genes
• Note: While blizzard corn snakes appear white rather than black, they are included here because both parent genes (charcoal) contribute to the black-corn-snake lineage

Pewter

The pewter morph combines charcoal with diffused (another recessive):

• Colors: Uniform gray to dark gray with reduced or eliminated pattern
• Appearance: A smooth, gunmetal gray snake
• Price range: $80-$180

Morph Comparison

Genetics

Both anerythristic and charcoal are simple recessive genes, meaning:

• A snake must inherit two copies (one from each parent) to display the morph
• A single copy makes the snake a "het" (heterozygous carrier) — visually normal but carrying the gene
• Breeding two hets together produces 25% visual morphs, 50% hets, and 25% normals

To produce charcoal corn snakes, both parents must be visual charcoals or het charcoal.

Care Requirements

Black corn snake morphs have identical care needs to all other corn snakes:

• Enclosure: 20-gallon for juveniles; 40-gallon or larger for adults
• Temperature: Warm side 80-85°F; cool side 70-75°F
• Humidity: 40-60%; increase to 65-70% during shedding
• Feeding: Appropriately sized frozen/thawed rodents; pinky mice for hatchlings, adult mice for adults
• Lighting: A basic 12-hour light cycle helps; UVB is not required but can be beneficial

Identifying Black Corn Snake Morphs

Conclusion

Black corn snakes — particularly charcoal and anerythristic morphs — offer a striking alternative to the brightly colored corn snakes more commonly seen. Their dark, moody coloration makes them stand out in any collection. As recessive morphs, they are widely available from reputable breeders at reasonable prices, and they share the same easy-going temperament and beginner-friendly care requirements that make all corn snakes excellent pets.