Heather's Herps

Getting there

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Gargoyle

It has been an interesting week already. In the midst of doing all the normal things I do every day, work, class, home stuff, snake stuff, I have gotten into trying to do things early and often.

One of those things is the blog, and the other is photography and social media. Now, don't misunderstand me when I say getting to do Social Media early and often. I actually have been trying to stear clear of Facebook more often, as it tends to get under ones skin, but Pinterest, for the sake of my plannings and sharing with others, I have been trying to get more involved.

Queenbee in Shed

Pinterest, being that of both photography and social media, is an interesting place to be. You post up photos you like, and people comment and like them. Since I have been trying to take more photos, I have been sharing things on Pinterest more so than before. (NOTE: I have not posted up the snakes anywhere but this blog)

Thus comes this quote I found on Facebook that I found amusing.

I pinned it up, and went on my merry way.

Within an hour, it went VIRAL on Pinterest.

I got so many likes, pins and comments my head started to hurt. I think the count right now is around 14,000, which for any of my other photos on my board, is HUGE.

Why am I bringing this up?

Well, I got some HATEFUL comments about this.

"This is idiotic and otherwise known as an "Excuse To Be A Heinous Bitch"

"attitude is a selfless choice that you make to serve others whether they deserve your wrath or not, When you act with grace despite them your attitude becomes your character which in turn reflects your personality and who you are. Its sad that so many people like this quote...."

"This is such a bunch of crap. If you are allowing your attitude to be affected by others then your personality is pathetic. You can change your personality and should be in control of your own attitude!!!"

WOW! I was floored. Seriously.

While I understand where they are coming from, I interpreted it in a way more open minded way, and found it to be a positive spin on something that could be often misconstrued. How often is it that there is that one person that just drives you nuts, and you knowingly are just more trite with that person? THAT is the type of understanding I got when reading this...

But apparently it was blown out of the water in terms of establishing an opinion on it.

I am still shocked at how passionate some people are about this saying.

So I present it to you, my blog friends.

How do you interpret it?

I want to hear from people that I know more so than those random faces on Pinterest. I want to know what you think.

And of course, with a sprinkling of pretty snakes to boot.

I will still post to Pinterest, and so far have done so with other quote photos right after the photo quote above, and they were received with much less viral tenacity.

It's interesting how that works...

So with that, I bid you a good day, my friends.

Think on it, comment on it.

It's interesting to think about.

Have a great day!

Mojave Spider

Wierd Weather and breedings

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Pastel Super Mojave x Lemonblast

So of course, the weird weather here in Southern California has led to some very concerning breeding conditions, but I have been watching accordingly, and have captured a few breedings in the last few days.

Also, the problem with the weather is that the humidity has been very low, and lots of dry sheds have resulted. This paired with the fact that I don't like to harass my animals while during the breeding season as much as I would normally has basically shown itself in the stuck shed on the pictures for today.

Please forgive me.

Above, we have a new breeding and a new female to the loop. The Lemonblast female is a recent acquisition that just came out of quarantine. She has now been paired up with the Pastel Super Mojave, hopefully to make some stellar Super Pastel Mojave Pinstripes. Fingers crossed for this pairing...

Vanilla het Hypo x Pastel

And here we have the Vanilla het Hypo male with a Pastel. Nothing super fancy, but I'd love to have a few Vanilla Pastels to work with in the future. Here's to a bunch of combos in this clutch! He is a stud of a breeder, so hopefully there will be some good Vanilla stuff in this upcoming season for sure.

Spider het TSK Axanthic x Pastel het TSK Axanthic

Last but not least, we have my favorite pairing of the blog. I have been shooting for Axanthic Killerbees ever since I saw them from NERD back in 2006. This is my big chance to make some Axanthic Bumblebees, which I could then pair up with the Pastel Axanthic that I produced last season. Fingers crossed for something AMAZING out of this pairing, since this is my only shot this season at it.

So there you go, my friends. I hope that this gives you a glimpse into the possibilities here at Heather's Herps in 2012. I am getting excited, and although I expect this to be a late season for us due to the weather, it should still be an awesome one!

Have a great day, my friends!

Mojo Power

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

Jigsaw (Mojave Pinstripe)

Most of you well know that I am a big advocate of Mojaves. Mojaves are awesome. Mojaves are a great base morph, as well as a killer combination morph to work with.

Here we have some awesome critters that are all involved with Mojave.

The Snake Keeper were the first breeders to produce and prove out the Mojave in 2000, and it was thus named for the Mojave Desert here in California. I imagine it's due to the dusky coloration, but that may just be me putting an artsy spin on it. I've never really asked Dan and Colette why they named the morph the Mojave. Maybe next time I see them... I'd like to know.

Mojave Spider

Anyway, it seems like no matter what you combine it to, it makes things awesome. Granted, you may disagree awesomeness occurs when it is involved with the Leucistic Making genes, as everything turns out White.

I don't quite get how getting a solid white snake is somehow a bad thing, but I understand from a combination standpoint, it doesn't leave much to work with.

Super Pastel Mojave

So to fix it, I just plan my breedings accordingly, to avoid making more White Snakes as many people tend to poo-poo.

And so should you, if you care not to see that type of morph combination. But think of it this way... The magic that is Ball Python Morphs allows for so many different opportunities to mix new things, it really shouldn't be that much of a hindrance to not work in Mojave into everything.

YAY MOJAVE!

Have a great day, my friends.

Power Males

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

A lot of people who are getting into the hobby try and figure out what is the best avenue to go..

Should I get a bunch of co-dom females and a cool male, or a cool female and wait to get a cool male for later?

Both of these things work out in the end, and the question really is, what is it that you have in your arsenal to begin with?

If you are just starting out, a few females and a cool male would be a great way to go.
If you are more patient, a great female to grow up is an excellent choice because when she is ready, you can get a great male and make super great babies out of that pairing.

For me, though? I have always been the type to keep the cool females, grow them up and get a super cool male.

So what do I mean by a super cool male?

Well, these photos on the blog are of the Sterling Mojave male that I hatched out this past season. I am very excited to have him here, as I have plenty of cool females to pair him with.

It did, however, take a long time to get there with the collection. Patience is not one of my strong suits, but I have managed to get a bevy of cool females every year to hold back and make work.

So what is best to do?

Again, its up to what you think is best for you....

I know what works for me, and what I intend to continue to do.

Can I find more amazing males to add to the collection? Absolutely!

Is that the plan? You bet your sweet ass it is.

Will you see photos of them eventually on the blog?

Yeah, you know you will... I can't keep anything from you guys... That's why I do the blog at all!

So think on it, share your experiences in the comment section, and have a great day, my friends.

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have been playing around with a few things to help me organize my life and my internettings.

One thing that I was turned on to was Pinterest.

It is an interesting website, for those who find things that they like and want to revisit.

The premise is that one has a Pinterest, which is a virtual photo scrapbook. You get the Pin It app, and you pin photos specific to that which you are interested in on specific webpages. You then have a link back to where you found it, as well as a place to see everything as a reference back.

It works for things you want to buy, ideas of crafts, reciepes, and even wedding planning (cough).

It is one of those "You gotta know someone to get in" kinda websites, so if you want an invite, shoot me an e-mail.

It is a fun thing to play around with, and I have been using it on and off for things that I have had to stop and look at again.

http://www.pinterest.com/

Try it out, look at it.

I'm planning on possibly starting a pin on critters soon, although that is kinda what this blog is for... We shall see. It would be worth a look into.

Have a great day, my friends!

Things are fast approaching

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

In the past few years, I have been changing the blog to suit what I think is appropriate for what you out there in Internet Land want to read about. Back in the day, I rambled on about anything under the sun, and while it was easier for me to come up with topics, it was less about the snakes.

THEN, I thought to myself, "these people don't want to know what I think about Movies...They are reading my blog because they want to know more about the snakes!"

So I started to try to focus more on the snake stuff. Problem is, part of the year, not much can be said for activities over here other than feeding, cleaning snake poop and watering. That gets old fast.

And with the whirlwind of this last year, a LOT of things outside of snakes has been happening to me, but I have tried very hard not to bring a lot of attention to it on the blog (as it is not snake relevant).

But it's coming to a point where the real life stuff is conflicting with my blogging, and so I think I will just run with it. There are days where I am so consumed with other things that I can't come up with any real fun ideas about snakes. I'm sure there are plenty of other people out there with the same issue... Life can get very heavy on ones shoulders sometimes.

So...

I am going to bring it back to allowing myself some musings once in a while. Nothing earth-shattering, of course. But when I get home from work, or when I encounter something randomly funny in life, it's coming back on here.

Might as well, right?

Life is not all about the snakes, although it is a huge part of it, and I don't want to overshadow that at all.

What spurned this random idea?

Well, my friends... I have four more months until my wedding day. And it's FREAKING ME OUT.

Four months is nothing, you guys. You all know that.

I have plenty done, plenty planned, lots of things dealt with... but four more months to get all the little things together, all while working full time, snake-ing as much as I can, and now going back to school again for another semester.

AAACK!

Of course, I can do this.. I just need to scale back on things a little, one of which is beating myself up trying to figure out what to write the night before on the blog. It takes planning to get something really interesting up on here, and sometimes, I just don't have the mental power anymore.

So that's the plan.

What do you think?

Of course, I value your opinions, oh wise readers of mine. I know some people don't read this every day, and of course, there are times when I don't even think what I wrote is remotely interesting. So we are going to change it up.

New Year changes for a better tomorrow.

Have a great day, my friends.

Break

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Getting back into more work in life, so I need a night off.

I will be back and bigger than ever on Thursday!

Have a great day, my friends!

Tragedy

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, seems like there are a lot of things happening already this year.

A fellow breeder in Philadelphia was meeting a potential customer for a sale of 20 animals. It is not known if he met up with his customer or not, but he was shot in the chest and his car stolen. The snakes were taken with the car, but the car crashed into a pole and the suspect fled on foot.

http://www.blogger.com/goog_848099436
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/23/police-hunt-gunman-after-man-shot-during-snake-sale-in-philadelphia-parking-lot/

"A 38-year-old snake breeder who was shot in Ridley Township while trying to sell 20 pythons worth about $12,000 is a computer software engineer from Douglassville who has a snake-breeding business on the side.

Mark L. Haas remains in intensive care with a collapsed lung at Crozer-Chester Medical Center after being shot Sunday in the parking lot of Woodlyn Shopping Center, said Ridley Police Lt. Scott Willoughby. His injuries are not life-threatening, he said.

Haas was supposed to sell the snakes to a buyer from New York, but police still do not know if the deal went bad or Haas was the victim of a random carjacking.

The suspect took off in Haas' car with two boxes of snakes inside and eventually hit a pole in Folsom, then ran away. Willoughby said police found the car and removed the boxes - one containing 20 baby pythons and the other a five- or six-foot python - back to the police station so they would not freeze.

Haas' girlfriend picked up the snakes and took them back to his breeding facility, he said.
A website for Haas' company, Shinja, says he breeds pythons and poison arrow dart frogs, with the snakes selling for up to $20,000."

I know Mark only thru the internet and not well, but I dread the possibility that this could happen again to anyone, especially someone I am familiar with.

He should be fine, thank goodness.

Please remember that this industry is close-knit, and that stuff like this can happen. No matter what, there are crazy and illegitimate people out there trying to manipulate and steal things. I am very sorry to hear what happened to Mark, and let's take this as a learning experience.

1) Do not meet up with anyone alone. Even in a public place, it can be unsafe.
2) Make sure someone knows where you are going, even if they aren't going with you.
3) Meet up during the day with a friend to accompany you.
4) When in doubt, SHIP.

If you can think of any other tricks, please share and comment below. Let's all stay safe out there.

Have a great day, my friends.

Happy Year of the Dragon!

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

So today is the Lunar New Year, and it brings with it the year of the Dragon. It is the year of the Water Dragon, which means several things.

"The Year of the Water Dragon (1992, 1952 and 2012) is noted for its calm, visionary intelligence, and balance of right brain creativity with left brain logic."

"This is a year when people who are extroverted and outgoing will feel in their own element. People who are timid or introverted may have a harder time keeping pace with the year.

And of course, we started the New Year with some new critters! Of course, the White Gold clutch wasn't too shabby, but I also picked up a new Calico female to add to the harem. I don't have many Calicos, and this is my attempt at beefing up the white sided critters.

Joel seems to think the Calico gene is "lame", so I kinda kept away from them for a while, but with this girl, I am pleased. Next acquisition of Calico/Sugar will be a combination male, but until that happens, I'm going to keep things simple. This is the last gal until then. (We shall see if this is true, but at this point, I am serious)

And here we have the lowest white Mojave Pied that I hatched out. I really like how he turned out! The gold really is pretty! Apparently the lower white Mojave Pieds are more valuable. Isn't that interesting how that changes depending on the morph type?

Anyway, enjoy the New Year! I shall be in new clothes and eating something sweet this morning. Bringing in the New Year right...

Have a great day, my friends!

The Dragon is the only one of the 12 animals of the Chinese Horoscope that is mythical. This indicates a connection with the transmuting power of Heaven, hence this is a year when we may be able to achieve what seemed impossible before.

A warning in the Year of the Dragon is to manage energy wisely, so you don't get exhausted. This may be hard to do in a year of abundant good energy, because it may seem unlimited.

Contrary to some popular rumors that have been circulating in the past few years about predictions, there is nothing in Chinese Astrology that indicates that the year 2012 is the "end of times."

Dragon years are expected to be full of benevolence and grace, especially a Water Dragon Year."

So the bottom line? This should be a good year! I know I'm excited about it, for all of the new things that are changing in my life. Bring it on, New Year!

READ THIS!

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

So I am going to give the floor to my fellow herper, Mr. Micheal Crabtree.

He has written a very well thought out and thorough blog on the history and current situation that we are encountering with the New Reptile Legislation.

It's a long read, longer that I usually give a daily blog, but it sums up more than I ever could the entire situation of the large snake rulings.

So please, sit back, take a moment and read this.

I hope this answers a lot of your questions about what is really going on.

http://studentofthereptile.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/43/

This YouTube video helps as well.

Read, share, and think about it. Do what you must.

Have a great day, my friends.

Last of 2011

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

The last clutch of the year that actually went to term has hatched out (let us not forget the Enchi clutch that died, and the female with it).

3.0 Mojave Pieds, 0.1 Mojave het Pied, and 1.2 Het Pieds.

Here are the hets all together.

I am still saddened by the fact that the Enchi clutch went bad, but this clutch has made up for it somewhat.

I plan on keeping the Mojave female, since I do not need a Mojave Pied male. I was hoping for a Mojave Pied female, but alas, my odds were in the penes again.

Which is okay, really... I don't need to keep them, so they will all be available, which means more funds for more snakes and wedding stuff.

I can handle that.

I really like the way they look though. I wish I could keep one just to grow up and watch change. They are awesome looking...

But I have their father, who I used to produce them.

He is in the rotation to make more this upcoming season, so I can't be too mad at that.

What to do with him, eh? So many plans... So many.

I'm off to plan, my friends.

Have a great day!

Reflection

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have to say that with the legislation doing what it is doing, I have time to reflect on why I am working with snakes in the first place.

I am allergic to many creatures, as is my Mother. I grew up with exotics as pets because I had to. I never got to own a snake, as my Mother was afraid, but I did get to have various types of fish, birds and the occasional try at a hamster.

So why then did I end up with Ball Pythons?

Cause they are gorgeous and fun to work with. End of story.

Snakes are all beautiful in their own way, and with patterns and colors that rival the rainbow, (and some that are named after the rainbow), how can anyone not value them as creatures worth keeping and enjoying?

Yes, they eat live animals, and yes, they are somewhat intimidating.

It is mainly in ignorance that much of the fear is spread.

This is true of many things, and especially true of the new Legislation.

I will be the first to admit that yes, the Burms are in Florida. That is an obvious fact.

But why is it that Yellow Anacondas and "African Pythons" are included in this?

And why is it that we are banning these animals instead of controlling the current wild population?

How will this help things?

I have no idea.

And of course, as I can, I try to be as fair minded as possible. I understand and see where the government is going with this. They need to find some way of controlling the invasive populations that are in Florida and other states.

But how is this new legislation on current domestic animals going to help?

I don't see how it does. I see it as more people, afraid of getting in trouble, letting more animals go into the wild.

And THAT will be even worse.

Then what?

More legislation....

A never ending cycle.

Let us hope that things turn around.

And do what you can to help people see the error of this, professionally and courteously.

No sense in swearing and yelling. That doesn't do much good but make us all look like fools.

Let's do this thing, folks.

Have a great day, my friends.

US Snake Ban getting closer to reality

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Taken from: http://www.kingsnake.com/blog/archives/782-U.S.-to-approve-ban-on-Burmese-and-African-Rock-Pythons.html

U.S. to approve ban on Burmese and African Rock Pythons

By Jeff Barringer
Mon, January 16 2012 at 21:05

After a five year plus battle and despite the best efforts of the reptile community, it is being reported by the Miami Herald that the U.S. is set to approve a federal ban on Burmese Pythons and most likely African Rock Pythons as well, next week during the presidents stop in Florida.

Under a rule that has been the subject of five years of lobbying and debate in Washington, the United States intends to declare the Burmese python an “injurious’’ species, which would make it illegal to import or sell the snakes across state lines. At least one other species that has been found in the Glades, the African rock python, also is expected to be included on the “injurious’’ list that originally included nine large constrictors.

As yet there is no word on the other 7 species on the proposed list, including Reticulated Pythons and Boa Constrictors, but watch this space for further news updates as they come in.

For more information on the expected announcement see
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/16/2592593/us-set-to-approve-python-ban.html

UPDATE:

The Ban will include only: Burmese Python, African Rock Python, and Anaconda..

"Sixty days after publication of the final rule in the Federal Register, interstate transport and importation of live individuals, gametes, viable eggs, or hybrids of the Burmese python, northern and southern African pythons and yellow anaconda into the United States will be prohibited. None of these species is native to the United States."

http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Salazar-Announces-Ban-on-Importation-and-Interstate-Transportation-of-Four-Giant-Snakes-that-Threaten-Everglades.cfm

Do your part. Click these links and do what you feel you need to do:

http://united-states-association-of-reptile-keepers.rallycongress.com/5799/no-on-fws-python-rule-bad-american-small-business-families-alread/

http://united-states-association-of-reptile-keepers.rallycongress.com/

Pastel Crystal Amazingosity

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I was taking photos, and needed to take out the Pastel Crystal for a photo op. So, with some camera issues, I put her in a rogue water dish at the cleaning station. I fixed the camera, but looked up, and she was comfortably perched in there, looking out at me.

The biggest thing I noticed was that the blue of the Chlorhexidine spray bottle brought out the blue in her eyes!

And then, of course, I took the photo. I took a few photos...

I was of course, very impressed with what she was turning out to be, as I do with many of the snakes I don't look at often.

Why don't I look at her often?

Well, although the option is there, I try really hard not to look at animals that I am considering keeping while they are on sale, so that I can convince myself that I don't need them.

This is especially true of this girl... I would love to sell her, but the bigger she gets, the more beautiful she gets, and the more interesting she is for me to keep.

So I try and ignore her.

I know....lame, right?

Hey, it works for me.. Most of the time.

But if you did care to know, yes, their eyes are blue/grey, and yes, they do grow into more colors as they age. Maybe I will compare her with her older sister again soon.

And of course, I have to say I'm pretty proud of myself that I have updated the available page with everything I have available as of right now, with updated photos and everything.

YAY ME!!!

So we start the week updated and fresh.

Bring it on, work week!

YAY Weekend!

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Chipo the Onyx

It's that time of the week again, and I have to say I can't wait to have another weekend. Seems like they are always so far apart, and when Sunday night comes around, I get sad that Monday is coming.

Nothing against Mondays of course... It's just that Mondays mean it's back to the grind more so than before, and I know I like my relaxing time, don't you?

If Monday was a person, she would be that annoying Aunt or Cousin or something that you can't get rid of, that always just irks you just tad when she comes around. It's nothing she did, of course, but the things that she COULD do... And I personify Monday as a She because don't we all know that Mondays can be a bitch...

Anyway, I digress.

I am looking forward to this weekend, and I have that one final last clutch to hatch out for the 2011 season. I hope that it comes out early, as it was laid 11/24... Usually my stuff hatches about a week early, so we may be on track to get a few pips in the next week. Fingers crossed for them, cause I can't wait to see what is going to pop out!

Until then, I will just have to satisfy my snake-ling cravings by playing with the ones I have out of the egg. I hope to get a lot of cool photos for you all this week, because I need to get back on track with introducing some animals, and talking about things, and eventually actually getting around to another YouTube Video.

I promised I would do one before the end of the year, and look.. I didn't.

I'm a Fail.

Sorry.

But, if you have suggestions, I am always open to them. And I know there have been requests for the YouTube things, so I will get on that. I just have to charge up the doohicky that takes them videos for me... And actually use it.

Bumblefly (Bumblebee Fire)

With the wedding creeping closer and closer, I am getting a bit overwhelmed by the magnitude of work that still needs to be done too.

Weddings are no joke, people.

Elope.

LOL!

Anyway, have a great weekend, my friends. I will come back refreshed and better than ever for you all next week!

Black Magic.... or More?

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

I admit it.

I am horrible at remembering some of these names of the combo morphs.

Some of them are pretty simple (Bumblebee, Pastave, etc..), but some of them I can't remember for the life of me which morph it involves.

Perfect example is the Black Magic.

The Black Magic is apparently a Black Pastel Mojave, which I produced for the first time here this year, 2011.

The Savannah is a Cinnamon Mojave, which I also produced for the first time here this year.

Hey look! A Savannah and a Black Magic

So yes, I produced both this year, and I have to say, they are interesting! In the photo above, the Savannah is on top, and the Black Magic is below. How can you tell? Well, I know I did a blog on this a few months back.

The Savannah has a lighter overall coloration, with a less dramatic color from spine to stomach. It also has a lighter head. In the more dramatic Savannahs, the blushing is very intense and the pattern is pushed almost halfway up the body.

The Black Magics are all very dark (of course), with a dark head and deep gold tones, deeper than the Savannahs. The pattern is not dissipated as it does with some Savannahs.

The photos hopefully show the overall tonal differences between the two.

Now, here is the question I have...

What do you call a Black Pastel Lesser?

Apparently there is no fancy name for it...

I produced this girl last year, 2010, on accident in a Mystery Clutch. At first I thought she was a Pewter. YAY for learning....

Anyway, she looked like this as a baby. Completely different shade of color, head was VERY Black Pastel like (but brighter), and an overall silvery body coloration, similar to that of a Pewter.

And now, not so much. You can tell she is not a Pewter.

She is my favorite mistake from 2010, and I am trying to figure out what I can do to make something amazing out of her. I'm sure it'll be pretty easy, considering how cool she looks.

Here I go, off to daydream and plan.

Have a great day, my friends.

The Reptile Super Show and Breedings

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, we finally got it done, my friends. The photos exist!

It was not, however, very outstandingly amazing. There were only a few photos, and honestly, they are all Ball Pythons for the most part.

Let us begin.

Here we have one of my wants in life. The Killer Clown Male.

He doesn't look like the one in my dreams, but if someone gave him to me for free, I wouldn't say No.

RAWR!

Here we have a new creation, so new, in fact, that it isn't even outlined as to what it is!

This isn't to say someone out there doesn't know what it is... It is just that they won't tell anyone that isn't paying for it.

All I can say is, it looks viciously awesome.

RAWR indeed.

I want one.

And although I am not quite sure where I stand with the Desert stuff, I have to say that this Pastel Lesser Tiger female right here is amazing.

AMAZING.

This photo was done without flash, and she still looks awesome. The colors in person are to die for, and I have to say that I wouldn't mind one of these in the collection as well.

And of course, my new found respect for the Champagnes has garnered a photo of a Pastel Champagne male. I am still trying to decide what Champagne male I should incorporate into the arsenal, but until then, I can stare at this photo at least.

The Buttery Nipple, created by my friend Josh Marki, is the Butter Hypo Champagne. It looks pretty sweet if you ask me...

And of course, what would the show be like without some kind of weirdness?

Apparently, someone brought an Opossum.

It was super cute, and a rescue from a local vet hospital drop off.

Lewie immediately wanted one. I have to say I kinda did too.

If you have met me before, know that I do not like to leave my table for much of anything. I just like to work when needed. So of course, I was behind the table, hanging with my friend Bob the Albino.

Bob the Albino is my "go-to" educational snake that I bring out for the children to touch and handle.

He is the tamest ball, most kicked back snake ever.

I am honored to work with him as a Snakey Ambassador for our hobby.

The problem, however, was as I was having him around my shoulders, he decided that my braid would be a great place to delve into.

Yes.

I had an Albino Ball in my hair.

Can many other people say that?

I kinda doubt it.

But that's alright.

I still love you, Bob.

So that was all of the interesting show photos of the weekend. It was a good time, good friends, and I had a great time seeing people and meeting new ones.

YAY

Anyway, I took these shots last night of the breedings that are happening.

Things are heating up here, finally... It's cooling down again in Southern California, so breedings are actually happening.

Here we have the Pastel Super Mojave with a Cinnamon female.

And here we have a Vanilla het Hypo male with a Mojave het Hypo female. Fingers crossed for some Hypo Vanilla Mojaves. That would be SWEEEEEEET!

So on we trudge thru the first month of the year. Here's to more breedings and more photos to share.

Have a great day, my friends.

Dang... but YAY!

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, apparently the camera that we used to take photos of the show is acting up and we cannot download the photos as of yet.

We will keep trying!

But right now, I can update you on some pairings..

This here is my Silver Bullet, Lucky, with a Pastel Lesser female. She had no interest in anyone so far, but Lucky got lucky and made it happen.

This here is a pairing that I was debating on doing this year, but since the opportunity arose and they seemed interested, I paired them up.

These are siblings from back in 2010, my Double Het Albino Pieds...

And just for confirmation, look! There is a lock.

There is one more female that I may pair up with him. I'm not sure exactly what I plan to do as of yet, as this pairing was not planned anyway...

Hmmmmmm

This pairing is another sibling pairing, a pair of Spotnose het VPI Axanthics... If I hit on the VPI Axanthic Powerball, that will be SWEET!

Fingers crossed on that one.

And last but not least, a non-related pairing this time. Mojave Spider male with a Cinnamon female. I am not a huge fan of the Cinnamon Spiders, but a Mojave Cinnamon Spider should be pretty sweet. We shall see, eh?

Anyway, that is what is happening so far... Nothing super outstandingly amazing, but nothing too shabby.

Last clutch of the season should be popping up in another two weeks, and then I can turn the incubator off for a few months.

It will be a relief for a bit not to worry about eggs and to worry about breeding.

Have a great day, my friends.

Recovery Day

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

As you may know if you saw me at the show, I was sick.

I am still sick, and am trying to recover, so no blog today, but I will have some show photos tomorrow and some updates as well.

Cough cough cough.

Have a great day!

Reptile Super Show

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend is the Reptile Super Show at the Fairplex in Pomona.

I can honestly say that although Setup is today, I am not ready. At all.

You have to be in the right mindset to vend at a show.

You have to be ready to meet and greet, hang out with people that you know, stand and talk for hours, and it can be very tiring.

And I'm already tired.

But I wouldn't miss it. It would be nice to sleep in, of course, but I wouldn't miss it.

Of course, as often as I vend now a days, it is 100% harder to get any reasonable sort of photography going.

I will try my hardest to make it happen, and maybe even send Joel out on a quest for photos. The problem with that is that he will take pictures of what HE likes, which tends not to be the Ball Pythons so much. Is it that big of a deal? Nah...

We will see what we can do.

So off I go to get things prepped... See you there if I do, and wish you could be there if you can't!

Have a great weekend, my friends!

The Most FRUSTRATING Thing

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Introducing the most frustrating male I have ever worked with.

Homey D. Clown, part of the YPBMC club (Yet to be Proven Breeder Male), has still to this day not given me a solid lock with a female. He has at least 6-7 females lined up for him, but he has no interest in any of them.

I invested a reasonable amount for him a few years back after being shafted on a trade deal for a Clown het something male. I waited several years for that trade to come to fruition, to find that the Breeder in question decided to go out of business without completing our deal. All this time, I waited to get a Clown so that I could have the Clown we had agreed upon and I had already traded him animals for, but... it was not meant to be.

So with a heavy heart, I finally gave in and got a Clown male. And of course, over the past two and a half seasons, I anticipated him being able to and being willing to breed.

He is able, there is no doubt. He produces reasonable sized sperm plugs often.

The issue is that he won't use them for anything.

So after all this time, waiting and waiting, and he is not doing what he is supposed to be doing...

This just makes me that much more sad.

And of course, to top it all off, there is more to be said about legislation to prevent people from even owning pythons.

Quoted from the link below:

"US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) has a proposed rule being considered by the White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB). This is the final stage of the rule making process. This rule, if enacted, would ban the import and interstate transport of nine constricting snakes; Burmese python, Northern & Southern African pythons, Reticulated python, all four Anacondas, and Boa constrictor.

This rule has been called the "Constrictor Rule". All of these constrictors would be added to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. If this were to happen more than 1 million American citizens could be subject to felony prosecution under the Lacey Act. It is the job of OMB to weigh the purported benefits of the rule against the economic impacts. It is also their duty to assure the rule has been given due process under the Administrative Procedures Act, Information Quality Act and all pertinent Executive Orders. USARK has created a clear public record that FWS has failed at every level to make their case for this rule. According to emails obtained by USARK it appears that staff at FWS colluded with staff at the US Geological Survey (USGS) to manufacture "science" to support this rule making after the decision had already been made to pursue a Lacey Act listing.

Further, FWS grossly underestimated the economic impact. USGS has justified their flawed "science" by saying they were not required to adhere to information quality standards for science used to support the rule because the rule did not meet the standard for a major rule making ($100 million). An economic assessment of the Modern Reptile Industry commissioned by USARK, and done by Georgetown Economic Services, has since debunked USGS claims by asserting that the rule could have impact in excess of $103 million. USARK believes the actions of FWS and USGS in regards to the Constrictor Rule are arbitrary, capricious and potentially unlawful."

Please take a look at this link to USARK and sign.

Do your part to keep these beautiful (yet frustrating) creatures within our grasp.

Have a great day, my friends.

What Next?

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sterling Mojave

Things are actually going a bit slow right now here in California, as we have been getting some amazingly HOT weather. This past week we have been averaging 75 degrees Fahrenheit, including Christmas Day.

So what does this mean for Heather's Herps?

It means that the males that are supposed to be breeding are getting a bit confused.

It's too hot for them to really get it on, and I have not been seeing as much action as I would normally around this time of year.

I am kinda disappointed, but what am I going to do? I can't control the weather (although that would be awesome if I could...)

So what next?

I am pairing up as much as I can, but giving more time for males with females than normal. Will this effect the output of this upcoming season? I hope not, but there is a possibility.

The other possibility is a later season than usual, which means hatchings and eggs coming later in the year than usual. When is usual? This past year, we got eggs in the end of April. This year, I anticipate eggs in late May.

We shall see.

California usually does get later clutches than the other eastern states, as I have noticed.

And as for the upcoming pairings?

Yeah, I've changed my mind a few times already (again), but things are going somewhat smoothly.

I hope to get a few new things in the collection, but with everything going on, we will see! Fingers crossed for some awesome new things, and not so late of a season.

Here's to a good season, and the last Reptile Show of the season before the new babies hatch.

Pomona Reptile Show, here we come!

Have a great day, my friends!

Mystic versus Mojave

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of questions about Mystics versus Mojaves out there.
And I am going to say that I am not the formost expert on them at all. I only have a few, and some of them are much more odd to me than others.

But I am going to try to get this outlined for you all out there as a helpful tool.

Above, we have a Mystic. Note the golden tone, the average looking normalish look to it? Yeah, this one is going to be tough to describe.

I have noticed and heard many people mention that they look like Mojaves.

I can see where they are coming from, so lets make an attempt to discuss it.

Mystics have the floating alien heads and blushed out sides like Mojaves. They have the head pattern similar to Mojaves. Other than that? I don't see it.

The first thing to note between the two is the color.

Mystics look NORMAL.

Mojaves stand out like a sore thumb next to them, case in point the photo below. Mystic on the left, Mojave on the right.

The first thing about the difference in tone is that the Mojave is purple and grey. The yellows are muted, and the blushing is bright. The Mystic on the other hand, is standard in color, with typical golds and blacks. The patterns are similar, as well as the blushing location, but that is the end of it in terms of what they look like comparatively (other than being Ball Pythons, of course).

It is fascinating to think that these two morphs, bred together, produce a purplely white snake with grey eyes.

Who would have thunk it, right?

So I hope this helps in identifying your Mystics. I have a hard time with it sometimes, but as I always say... When in doubt, breed it out!

Have a great day, my friends.

New Years Resolutions

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

My friends, 2011 was a tough one.

I can say that towards the end there it was getting more than a bit rough.

I have done my fair share of complaining and moping, but now, it is 2012. This is the first blog of 2012, and I'm going to make it a good one by saying a few things that I plan to do.

I plan to do all I can to make this year better than all the rest.

I plan to get things more organized, more timely and more interesting.

I feel like I lost my mojo for a bit there, and although with everything going on, it's not completely back on track, but I am getting there, and I will be back and better than ever!

The snakes are my passion, something I love to do, something I love to share with the world. I can't forget that, and neither should you, my blog readers.

Yes, I work full time. Yes, I do attend classes. Yes, I am planning a wedding. Yes, I am juggling a lot.

But, that is what I chose to do, as well as do all the amazing snake stuff I love to share with you all out there in internet land.

The problem I have is that sometimes, I lose my way. I lose focus, as any human being does.

This means that I don't always have the most interesting things to share, especially during times of slump. BUT I DO want to help you out there as much as I can, and answer all the questions you all have out there.

So, I ask you, blog readers, in this 2012 year, can you help me help you? Let me know what you'd like to see! Let me know what you want to learn more about!
If I can help you, I will.. If I can't, I will find somewhere were I can get the information you want to see.

I am doing this for you, my friends.

Tell me what you want to see in 2012.

I wanna know what you want.

Because there is no point in this blog without someone out there to read it.
This is for you.

And of course, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Have a fantastic first weekday of 2012, my friends.

Bring it on, 2012. I'm ready for you.

Family Time! (again)

2011-12-30T06:00:00.001-08:00

My Brother and Mother are in town, so I am taking the day off from blogging to show them the sights.

Have a great day and weekend, my friends!!

Let's bring in the New Year right!!!

Pastel het Red Axanthic

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, here we have a morph combination that is not often seen on the market, due to its abiguity of sorts. Het Red Axanthics are a "boring" base morph, and therefore do not get bred into many things. I know several breeders that work very closely with the morph, including myself, and hope to find some awesome never before seen combinations in the near future.

Now what makes a Pastel or even a base Het Red Axanthic?

First, it begins in the color. Het Red Axanthics have an overall darker tone, with less yellows and more browns. They are most well known for the common dorsal black back over the spine, but this is not the only indicator of the morph, and it also may not even occur on some Het Reds.

Note in the photos that there are odd shaped alien heads with squiggles.
These squiggles are located within the body of the pattern (in the alien heads themselves) and don't seem to fit anywhere else. Can you see them in the photo below? They are the random black side spots in an otherwise organized pattern. There is one right below the word "below".

You notice that these pastels are not as bright as some can be. Yes! That is true... Again with the Het Red morph being in play, the tone is more golden, not neon yellow as some Pastels can be.

They are, however, still stunning in their own right.

All three of these photos on the blog are of different Pastel het Red Axanthics. They can vary immensly, and if you are in anyway doubtful of a Het Red, just try and pinpoint what could be there as an indicator.

Again:

COLOR
PATTERN (w/squiggles)
BLACK BACK

I have heard from many people that some Het Reds rival that of Black Pastels. This is true, and that is actually how I became the first person to create the Onyx. I thought it would be an awesome idea to breed a dark "normal" to my Black Pastel to see what would pop out.

Of course, the rest is history, and the Het Red gained popularity. I hope with other combinations, it will continue to do the same.

Have a great day, my friends.

Patternlessness

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm spending more time in the snake room trying to get myself back on track. It's been a few days of being "off" due to all the things that are going on.

While centering myself and breathing, I like to spend time in the snake room taking photos. Beauty offsets any problems I am dealing with at the time for the moment.

So here we have a photo spread of some patternless animals I have shown occasionally, now more adult and more colorful.

Above we have a Silver Bullet, which is in this case a Black Pastel Cinnamon Pastel. I love the grey tone that this female exudes. The one thing I regret is not having a Super Cinnamon or something to compare the shades of grey, but I do have a Super Pewter below that is stunning.

Super Pewter is a great name for this snake, since it really is Pewter toned, almost silver.

And the yellow splotches, grey and black patches and white spots are all just icing on the cake. Just so interesting looking at such a "patternless" snake with a bunch of random dot pattern.

I really like looking at these two together. Just a brighter lighter grey between the two (Silver Bullet and Super Pewter) and the great comparison. Always a fun thing to look at.

And of course, this gal here has not been shown often, but she was looking amazing. This here is a Pastel Super Mojave female. She is epically yellow right now, and of course her head looks fantastic as well. I had to take many photos, and how else to incorporate her into the blog but to add her with the other patternless critters.

So pretty!!

Anyway, enjoy your day my friends. Have a great one!

Pastel Spotnose

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to get a good picture of a Pastel Spotnose for the collection, and so far there have been not many good opportunities. They (the two sisters from this year) tend to bite when the camera comes out, so this one was especially docile for about five minutes, so I took the opportunity while I could.

I have to say, Spotnoses and their combinations are really growing on me. I did not jump into the morph very quickly. I actually did it somewhat reluctantly, to be honest, due to a trade offer that I took up.

I ended up with 1.1 Spotnoses het VPI Axanthic a few years ago, and bred the male to a few of my females.

I bred him to a Pastel, and this female was one of the outcomes of that breeding. So yes, she is 50% possible het for VPI Axanthic. Extra bonus? Absolutely.

It has been a blessing to have these guys here, as making things "Pastel" seems to make things that much more outstanding!

Just look at that head pattern. Spotted noses aren't really the best identifier of a Spotnose. The head pattern is. It is an odd patterned area on top of the head that is distinctive.

Gotta love it!

So there you go. I hope to have a significantly nicer photo for the collection page.

Until then, these will have to do.

Have a great day, my friends!

Sadness after the Holidays

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

I wish I had better news to report, but the Egg Bound Enchi female passed away Christmas Eve. She must have had some type of sepsis due to the egg removal.

I am very sad, as she was my first Enchi I produced, and I do keep track and care about things like that.

Rest in Peace, Enchi girl.

Lots of loss of life in the last few weeks. I think I need to do something to get things back on track.

Please forgive the short blog. I gotta go clean stuff.

Have a great day, my friends.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

I am taking a few days off for the Holidays, so Merry Christmas!!!

Have a great holiday season, my friends!

Big girls, baby boys

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

As you know, I've been introducing new males into the harem.

A few of these boys actually showed some kinds of promise, so I snapped some pictures.

Above is my Pewterbee with a Pastel, and he was actually locked as I checked. He likes the larger girls, and I can't say I'm upset about it at all.

I am upset about the mess they made before I took the picture, but... it's hard to clean without not messing with them.

This guy below I've actually mentioned before, my beloved Spinnerblast.

He keeps trying to make things happen.

Problem is, you notice where his vent is? You can see per the picture what the issue is, but the thing is, he is trying! He is managing to lift the female's tail, and that again is a great sign, but no hemipene work at all so far.

Oh well... More to see soon.

Have a great day, my friends!

YouTube requests needed

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have never been the best at doing videos...

But I have done them, and someone has requested that I do a few more.

In the spirit of the season, I of course do not have very much time to sit down and think about all the cool things I should do.

So I ask you, my blogger friends...

What should I do?

I need topics of discussion, especially since I will be having a few days off from work to handle it.

Is there something that you are DYING to see from me?

Cause I am dying to share it with you...

Help a sister out here.

Have a great day!

Pastel Enchi clutch

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Alrighty people, they are all out, and they are doing very well!

I ended up with an extra even sex odds as well as genetics odds.

1.1 Enchis, 2.2 Pastels, 1.1 Pastel Enchis.

I didn't end up with any Normals, which is even awesomer!

So they are all looking great, and the Enchis look fantastic. No spots at all, and will grow into great adults. The Pastel Enchis, which I have never hatched out before, are fantastic as well!

I love the head patterns of the Enchis, and the Pastel Enchis have amazing head patterns with blushing as well.

This female is my only hold back for this clutch, and I have to say I am really amazed at how cool the Pastel Enchis look. I can't wait to see how she grows into her colors.

The rest will be at the show in January.

www.reptilesupershow.com

So with that, have a great day, my friends.

Pastels and Enchis hatching

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

The Pastel Enchi clutch is hatching, and although not all of the eggs have hatched, these two babies have come out.

This Enchi female is going to be AMAZING when she sheds out and grows up. I love her reduced pattern. She is not that high yellow, but she will grow into her colors soon.

And her little brother, the Pastel male, hatched out first. He is very nice looking as well.

Hopefully tomorrow I can show you all the rest.

Sorry for the short lived blog, but I am trying to get things back on track in life. Please forgive me.

Have a great day, my friends.

Rest in Peace, my Smooshy

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have mentioned Kona a few times in the blog, but as she is not really a snake, she hadn't been in a lot of things.

She passed away last night from Congestive Heart Failure. She was only three years old.

Joel and I are heartbroken, as we are avid animal lovers.

Please take this time to kiss your critters, and know that you may think you have plenty of time with them, when in fact it may just be brief.

We are honored and humbled by our time with Kona, as she was one of the most loving, funny, beautiful dogs we have had the pleasure of knowing.

I will be dedicating this blog to her today.

We love you, Smooshy.

BREAK!!!

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have been working like crazy for the end of the year, and need some time today to take a break.

Have a great day, my friends!

(Open for requests!!)

Candling

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

I know that some times I mention words that some people may not be familiar with.

Candling is taking a flashlight to an egg and illuminating the insides to tell if there are viable veins.

I like to use LED lights to keep it bright, and when there are questions, turning off the light does help.

If the egg is all yellow, or if there is only weak veins, it may be a slug.

Usually when the eggs are like that, but fully formed, I incubate it anyway.

It usually does go bad, but when in doubt, go ahead and incubate. No harm in doing so at all.

In this egg, you can see the growth ring of the veins right after it has been laid. I would surmise at least six hours or more out of the cloaca. Usually by 24 hours, it is completely formed and there is nothing left to determine between where it began and where it ended.

Here we have an angle where you can't see the line... But you can see strong veins.

These are all photos of good eggs.

I hope you can use them in your own candling endeavors.

Happy Candling!

Wishful thinking

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I put one of the males in the YPMBC club, my Spinnerblast male with a proven Pastel female... And he got to work trying! BUT, he isn't doing work. He is looking like work, but nothing actually functioning. So, let us make some wishful thinking occur...

Fingers crossed.

There are a few doing the same thing, but this guy was one I didn't expect anything from, so these good signs are making me excited!

And of course, when the camera was out, the photos happened!

Above is a Super Pastel Mojave female of holdback groups... I LOVE HER COLOR!!! I am very excited to have her in the group, and her younger sister should grow into these colors just as well.

And above this is a Spinnerblast female holdback from last year. I love how much she has grown into herself. Spinnerblasts are one of my favorite morphs, and this photo does her not enough justice.

The last of the holdback group is my Pied het Hypo female that I produced this year. She bit me while I was taking this photo, but I have to say I love her pattern. Look at those four fingery projections of white! How cool is that?

Back to the grind, of course.

Have a great day, my friends.

H2O

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

H20...

The most glorious of all the chemical compounds, essential for living and a delicious part of the world as we know it.

We as humans are basically water bags, more than half of us made up of those wonderful three letters (and that one number isn't a letter, I know).

So why am I speaking about the glory of that clear liquid that we all know and love?

Because it is very important in the care of your reptiles.

There are some animals that can do without for a while, but most cannot. Ball Pythons included...

I know some people tend to not check on the water levels of their animals for days at a time, given the fact that they have large water bowls. That is no problem!

But it is when they are small animals, ergo babies or just small critters in general, they need more care and more water checks. This means once a week is more than likely not enough...

So what am I mentioning something so obvious for?

Because depending on the familiarity with some other creatures, one needs to remember to try to care for individual types of animals as they need.

What happens if a Ball Python doesn't get enough water?

Symptoms include:

Dry shed, wrinkly saggy skin, lack of movement and muscle tone, pronounced spine and tail, and wrinkled eye caps.

I realize that some animals (Uromastyx, tortoises, etc...) do not need much water at all, but Ball Pythons do.

Common knowledge, right?

Not when you care for other creatures and you don't change your habits...

But I digress.

What do I do?

I check the babies every two days, I check the adults every five..

My water bowls are large and obnoxious, but of course there are times that even large and obnoxious don't do enough.

So of course, I fill up often. And so should you.

Take care of your critters to the best of your ability!

Have a great day, my friends.

Show Season and SALE!

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Show season is almost over, but there is one last show of the season before it turns around again...

January has the Reptile Super Show, and I will be there vending.

I have to say that I haven't done as many shows as I thought I would this year, but this year has had a bunch of rollercoasters, much of which was not snake related.

And when real life that is not snake related gets in the way, it really gets in the way.

I feel kinda bad for not having enough time, but something has got to give.

But, I have time for this, and I am going to be there!

www.reptilesupershow.com

It is January 7th and 8th, and at the Pomona Fairplex.

It should be a great show, and I have plenty of critters left to sell.

And actually, I am going to be having a special sale to assist in funding my real life endavours, specifically my wedding that is coming up.

For you blog readers, when inquiring about an animal, mention the word "Wedding" in the e-mail/inquiry, and you will receive free shipping off on your animal! This is a large savings for those animals under $300, and for those animals over $500, take an additional 10% off, including free shipping!

This sale is thru the month of December, ending Jan 1st, 2012, and only referenced here on the blog. Tell your friends!

I hope this helps those of you that are short due to the holidays, and are in desperate need of that one extra animal...

So with that, enjoy your weekend, and have a great day, my friends.

Pastel Crystal versus Crystal

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

I got an e-mail asking about the differences between a Pastel Crystal and a Crystal. And even with my most eloquent and flowery description, it didn't quite cut it, so I went and took pictures.

So here we go.. with more eloquent and flowery descriptions..

Above, we have a photo of the closeup of a Pastel Crystal adult head.

It is faded light grey to lavender, with blue eyes and a bright yellow and creme coloration.

Compared to the head of a regular Crystal, it stands out like a sore thumb. The head of the Crystal is deeper tones of grey and lavender, with a splash of yellow towards the neck area. Also, note the blue eyes...

The colors of a Crystal are a bit deeper, but not by much. It's a subtle darkness, mostly over the spine ridges.

The body tone is just a smidge lighter on the Pastel Crystal as an adult than that the base Crystal. And of course, nothing like that of a baby..

Can you imagine this turning in to that above? WOW! Pinks turn yellows, lavenders get deeper tones, and in general, they are just gorgeous.

I could stare at them forever, really... And I don't like pink.

So there you have it. Adults compared. I don't have a baby Crystal that is within the same shade tone as the Pastel, as they have at least three months age difference, and in that time, they turn into the adult colors..

Got to love Ball Pythons and their chameleon-esque changes..

Have a fantastic day, my friends!

Shipping in Cold Weather

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it's getting to be that kind of year, and this is the time where most breeders don't ship.

Christmas time is around the corner, and Fedex and UPS tend to get more swamped now than any other time of the year.

What does that mean for us? It means more room for ERROR.

And an error in snake shipping could spell the end of the road for a beautiful creature just trying to get to its new home.

So, what do I do?

Well, I never ship below 35 degrees F, or above 90 degrees F.

I always check the temperatures of the hubs in between where I am shipping, especially if it is across country.

The main hub between Los Angeles and most of the East Coast is Memphis. If the temps are not good in Memphis, I don't ship.

Please keep in mind, although it may be more of a pain in waiting for an animal, it's much better to play it safe than be sorry about it.

When it is colder than 70 degrees, or hotter than 85 degrees, I put in temperature packs.

Heat packs (40 hr) for the cold, cold packs for the heat.

Simple, eh?

In cold weather, it is very important to use heat packs, as cold can cause your snake to get sick in transit, and possibly freeze.

Either too hot or too cold can kill an animal in transit.

You have to also remember that evening temps get much colder than what the weather predicts most of the time around this time of year.

Plan accordingly, and see if you get below the range even at night.

Cold weather (snow, rain, etc) and the time of year basically prevent me from shipping out until the first of the year, and even then, most places on the East Coast are covered in snow.

So what do we do?

We wait.

The ease for me is knowing that the snakes are safe, and can be fed and taken care of until the weather breaks.

It's kinda nice, actually.

So I get to sit back, enjoy the season, and play with my snakes a little more.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Jury Duty

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm going to go off on a bit of a tangent today.

I am proud to be an American.

I really am.

I have traveled around the world, and have experienced many other countries. I have been to China, Mexico, Brazil, and others...

Red, White and Blue.

United States of America is the country that holds my heart.

But I can say with all seriousness, I do not enjoy Jury Duty.

Yes, it is our right and duty as Americans to participate in the due process of the legal system. Yes, it is a great honor to be chosen for a jury. Yes, it is a very educational experience when you sit on an actual case.

But when you are stuck in the court room jury holding lobby for eight hours straight with more than 200 other people, it can get very tiresome very quickly.

Especially if those people are Angelinos (the term for Los Angeles county dwellers)...

New York has a bad reputation, and rightfully so. I have been there, I have experienced it, I know.
There are a few other cities, of course, but New York holds the title for me...

But Los Angeles residents have such an odd way of anger about them, it is off putting to say the least. They are a close second when it comes to being rough around the edges and rude.

When one has to deal with one to two hours of traffic to travel 10 miles... people get a bit wierd.

I have lived in Los Angeles for 10 years now... I am still not used to it.

And I was reminded of that yesterday at Jury Duty. (I was also reminded why I like animals much more than people some days)

For the record, I was not picked for a panel.. I wasn't even called to be a part of a panel to be picked from. My iPad and I sat in that waiting room the whole time.

FYI: Free Wifi in the court rooms and access to Netflix is a godsend.

So I am now signed off and will not need to report for at least another 12 months to serve again on a Jury.

Am I sad about that?

No way, man.

I like Democracy and stuff, but I can like it while going to work, going home and doing what I need to do, far away from large groups of grumbling angry Angelinos stuffed in small rooms.

God Bless America.

Enchi Recovery

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

She's doing alright... skinny and sad, and I am just working on trying to get her back into the right place. Her eggs are already going bad, but at least she is around to tell the tale!

I am looking forward to getting her back on track. She is not completely back, as she has yet to eat for me, and she is still a bit swollen, but I am ready to get her set and healthy again.

And the breedings this past week have not been all that bad.

Here we have a Pastel Butter Spider enjoying his moment with a Pastel female..

The Vanilla het Hypo male with a Pastel female...

And the Mojave Spider male with a Black Pastel female.

All and all not too shabby, eh?

I hope to be able to get a bit of time and actually be able to write out something cohesive this week about stuff.

And Anonymous, I cannot do the Orange Dream blog, as I don't have one to share! If you have any other requests, please let me know.

Have a great day, my friends!

She's Okay

2011-12-02T08:20:00.000-08:00

Short and sweet, as this week has been the week from down below...

Enchi female had three more eggs in her system, Vet took care of them. They are out, but they don't look good. I expect the entire clutch to go bad within the next few weeks.

But as she looks miserable and squishy thin, she is alive and fine. And that is the most important part. She will have a year off for sure, if not longer, to recover from this.

No internal damage, and all she needed was just a shot of anti-inflammatories to handle the puff that occured towards the cloacal end.

This weekend will be catch up weekend, as I really have not had an exorbitant amount of time for anything other than work and school.

So if you have requests, please ask for them now, so I can get everything prepped!

Have a great December-y weekend, my friends!

Egg bound female

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well... I thought it may happen, and it did.

Right now, life has been hectic to say the least, and then this happens...

My super exciting last clutch of the season ends up being a huge bust.

I have never had an egg bound female before, and this girl looks like she is in pain.

Her cloaca is hugely swollen, and three large eggs are still left to be laid. She laid two, one day at a time, and neither of them were fertilized.

I had high hopes for the other three, and then she ends up egg bound.

She is probably at the vet as you read this, being taken care of. I expect that the eggs will be aspirated (have fluid drawn out of the eggs to make them easier to pass) by the vet, and that the clutch will be a bust.

But as long as my first Enchi girl that I ever hatched is alive and well, I'm willing to accept the inevitable.

I just look at her and feel horrible.

I soaked her in warm water, and tried to help her passing, but her cloaca is so swollen and tissue is exposed (prolapsing), I didn't want to risk damaging internal organs.

I've helped other females before, but this is different.

So off to the vet she goes.

Again, these are the things you can't plan for at all, and just have to handle it accordingly. I'm sad I'm loosing the clutch, but I'd be much sadder if I lost her completely, which could be a possibility if I let her try for much longer on her own.

Wish us luck today as she goes into the vet.

I need her to be alright.

Have a great day, my friends.

Problems

2011-11-30T15:38:00.000-08:00

This is admittedly late, and I am swamped with stuff, but I have to report that the Enchi female is eggbound.
Vet visit tomorrow.

Will update as I can.

Laying... and Pied Comparison

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, my last clutch is being laid. Problem is, she is having a problem passing the eggs. I pulled the one egg in this photo, and there have been none since. The egg as well is infertile... Well... Fertile, but not going to go to term.

This makes me sad for the last of the season...

Fingers crossed at more good things. There are four more eggs on queue..

And of course, the long awaited Pastel Pied versus Pied blog!

Pastel Pied

Here we have my Pastel Pied male, and he is around a year old. Pastel Pieds tend to dull out as they age, and Pieds in general tend to mellow out as well. It's an interesting contrast, so I put my Pastel Pied with another Pied his age.

Pastel Pied and Pied

Here we have both side by side. You can tell the subtle nuances of color between the two. Yes, the Pastel Pied is brighter, but not by much! It is heightened even by the fact that I used my flash.

Pastel Pied and Pied

Here we have a more realistic color comparison. Yes, the Pastel Pieds are more yellow, but the basic pied on its own has a gorgeous golden tone to it as well.

And of course, the question about the eyes...


Pied eyes

I have to admit, eye color unless striking has never been a quality I pay much attention to... Granted, Spider eyes are awesome in their green cat-like tone, but for those like the Pieds, I never paid much attention.

So of course, I did. And I noticed in ALL of my Pieds, (basic Pieds) the eyes are deep rich tones. You cannot see the pupil much at all, and they are basically deep brown or black.


Pastel Pied eyes

Now let us take a look at the Pastel Pied eyes...

You can't see it very well in the photo, but they have a tinge of gold green, and you can see the pupil. They are lighter, and yes, they are Pastel-y.

Pastel Pied Eyes

So what did I learn from this?

The eyes are windows to the soul... and I should pay attention to them more often.

I hope this helps in your Pastel Pied to Pied comparisons.

Have any other requests? Shoot them to me!

Have a great day, my friends.

ACK!

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Have a bit too much to do getting back into the swing of things.

Need a one day break.

Anticipate the Pastel Pied versus Pied blog in the mean time.

Sorry!

YAY! Second to Last Clutch

2011-11-25T06:00:00.001-08:00

Well, here I was, Thanksgiving Evening, cleaning snakes... and I find this.

This female is the second to last female to lay for me for the season. She is a proven Het Pied female bred to a Pied male. I am pretty excited about this, considering I need a few more Pied things to take hold over here. Plus hatching Pieds are always fun!

And of course, since I have family in town, it was that much more exciting to share this experience. And wait for said family to take a million pictures of the event.

And piss off the mother more so than usual...

But eventually, we got the photos taken and the eggs put in a box.

Seven good ones, my friends! I can't wait to see what pops out!

Here's to New Years Babies!

Have a great holiday weekend, my friends!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

2011-11-24T14:09:00.000-08:00

I want to give thanks to all of you out there that take the time to read my blog...

You guys are great, and my inspiration to keep going.

I am so grateful to have the opportunity to share my views and love for the animals in an outlet that is a resource for people.

I love the fact that in my life, I get to play with snakes, take pictures of beautiful creatures, and just share them with the world.

Snakes are fantastic animals, and I know you all know it too.

Thank you all for being there, thank you for caring about Ball Pythons and reptiles in general.

Happy Thanksgiving from Heather's Herps to yours.

Introducing.... Miss Piggy

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

I did it.

I finally got myself a Hognose.

I have always loved their little snouts and the face that only a mother could love. They are too adorable, and I have wanted one for a while.

This little girl came up on an auction, and I bid for her and won!

She is my only Hoggie for now, with slight intentions in the future to see where I can expand, but right now I'm just enjoying her!

She is quite the character, hissing at every little thing, and puffing up.

I love her colors! I also tried to get a face shot, but it was hard enough to get her to sit still for the photos she is currently in.

This was as good as I could get it to get her face. Oh, Miss Piggy.. You and I will be having a great time together.

And no, I'm not giving up on my beloved Ball Pythons. A girl can dabble, right?

Have a great day, my friends!

Breeding and Blood

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

As a living, breathing creature, you have blood and you have reproductive organs. Sometimes, these things end up mixing together. It's not the best situation, when your reproductive organs are bleeding, but... it happens.

Rough and tumble, bad angles... etc.

It can and will happen.

This is especially true of male ground dwelling snakes. Sometimes, they drag their junk around before it is even needed, which tends to cause a bit of bleeding and redness.

Now, as a female, I don't want to make any sexist assumptions here, but I would like to point out that if the males are doing it to themselves and they haven't stopped it from happening again, I would be a little less concerned. They can feel pain, and they should have a basic instinct not to destroy themselves.

BUT, as animal caretakers, we must limit this exposure when possible.

YES, Ball Python males drag their junk around the floor when introduced to a female. YES, they can and will cause themselves slight harm.

Is this horrible and terrible and worth putting snake diapers on them?

No...

It's part of the magic of reproduction. Sometimes you don't get it right the first time.

So if you see the blood on the vent, just pop your males and make sure there are no infections or internal foreign materials that have been absorbed by exposing and absorption. If there are either, then please take care of it, be it clean it up yourself or take him to a vet.

Blood around the vent is bound to happen... It even happens with animals that aren't even in breeding rotations.

If it is more than just a very slight crusting, I would be concerned. Any swelling, foreign objects, puffiness or hestiation to pop out a pene are all bad signs.

Blood in general is not a bad sign unless there is a lot of it. A lot will be quantified by being able to scab over something. That is a bad sign. Before that is a warning sign...

Bottom line is if you are vigilant with your males, and know what is normal and what isn't (slight crusting is normal), you should have no problems.

Keep breeding them the way you have been breeding them, but at any sign of foul play, separate and diagnose.

I hope this helps those of you out there with the same questions.

Check some of your animals and you will see that blood does tend to accumulate oddly on some animals around the vent. Take note at the amount. I will see if I can get a picture of someone soon for you all as well.

When in doubt, send me a picture and I will help you figure it out!

Have a great day, my friends!

Break

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry guys, have some things I have to deal with today.

Will be touching on Jackie's question about male breeding tomorrow.

Have a great day, my friends!

Break for the Weekend

2011-11-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, Thursday is feeding day, and the males are getting pulled out of female tubs for a little break.

And of course, I am gearing up for my own little break of the weekend.

I can't wait to be able to slog around for a while, considering things are gaining steam towards the end of the year.

I love the Holidays, and I am very excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but there is not enough time to handle everything that needs to be done before the snow sets in.

Snow is a bad sight for shipping snakes, so most things are put on hold for a few months until the thaw.
Many people scramble to get things shipped before the Holidays (Christmas) too. Considering the mass amounts of packaging that tends to be exchanged over the month of December, this allows for more losses within the system. And losses of snake packages could mean life and death.

So this means buy now, or wait until the thaw... or live in California or a place that doesn't get snow!

Which is a welcome break for me to not have to run to Fedex every couple days, and to be able to just relax a bit, but it would be nice to send out a few more critters for Christmas.

This weekend is a weekend of accumulation. I have to get things managed and clean, as well as get things moved around. The males get the break for the weekend, and I get to think more about what goes where.

But it will be all good. I can't wait to be able to sleep in, dream of the upcoming turkey day that is creeping up fast, and the Holiday Season, which has already hit all major stores like a ton of bricks since the last week of October.

I HATE HEARING CHRISTMAS MUSIC THE FIRST WEEK OF NOVEMBER!!!

Yes, Grinchy as I may be, I get worse as the day comes closer... I get more tired of it the longer I hear it. I try and avoid it now as much as I can so that I'm not a raging ball of Grinch by December 24th. December 25th? Sure! I can appreciate it then... Not two months before, however.

I digress...

We were talking snakes, right?

Have a great weekend, my friends!

A few more YPBMC initiates

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

And we come to the last few males left in the rotation that are currently in with females and have yet to be seen doing anything productive.Above, we have the Bunchi het Hypo male, Butter Enchi to elaborate...He is plenty big, but has yet to show his stamina to me. Let me make a note that I am frequently not checking on him, so there may be instances where he really is doing what he is supposed to be doing, and I just miss it.This is true of ALL of the males in the YPBMC club...But until I see it with my own eyes, it didn't happen.

How's that for pessimism, eh?

And let me stress that I am not in any way coercing these males to do anything. Other than placing them in with a female, that is all I do. I don't fight them, I don't spray them, I don't put goo on them.There are ways to try and assist in the preparation for breeding, such as misting them down, putting sperm plugs of a competing male on the female, putting in a competing male in with the current male and female... I am not interested in pursuing those avenues right now. It is the BEGINNING of the season, and I can't expect everyone to be ready as soon as I am in the room with a camera. But of course, it would be nice to see something. This Lavender Albino male I had very little hope for, just because he stopped eating for me a few months ago. But, he is producing tiny little plugs, so I put him in with a smaller Het female.No luck so far.

No big deal... I would love for him to breed, but such is the way of the breeding season. He is small. He may go, but he isn't right now. I think I may pull him out of rotation for a bit and feed him for a while, see if that helps anything.He may be this year's Homey, but with less expectations for performance. But I have a Het Male I can throw in should it be obvious after another month of no action. Lavenders this season? Yes, please!So of course, with another week almost gone, I have yet to do anything but complain. I haven't moved males yet to see if they want another female instead, I haven't done much in terms of breeding other than leaving them in there. But that is really all it takes.Rotation One should be complete this Friday, and then moving begins.And hopefully some breeding photos for you all to enjoy!Have a great day, my friends!

YPBMC continued

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

And again, we discuss those in the YPBMC club.

This here is my Pastel Pied male, surpassing 700 grams with no problem, he appears to be afraid of the ladies.

He has been spending time in the corner, enjoying the look of his scales as he hides his head within his coils.

While he is a gorgeous specimen of snake, he is also not a breeding machine as of yet. Fear not, my friends. I'm sure he will get his bearings soon, but as of today, he has yet to lock with any females.

And of course, the notorious two year in a row Yet to be Proven Breeder Male Club head, Homey D. Clown.

Homey has no interest in females, to the point where I felt the need to check his parts to confirm his maleness. He is for sure a male, but I have to say, he has no interest in using his said parts for anything as of yet. I am really counting on him to do something, as he is now almost three years old, and I have several clown projects that require his services.

He is the ONE male that would make me devastated if he didn't breed this year. My clown projects have been suffering (yet the females growing) for years due to his lack of interest. I have yet to hatch out any Clowns myself, cause I am giving Homey a chance to shine.

SHINE, HOMEY, SHINE!!!

And one male who decided to shine beyond the YPBMC club is the Super Pastel Lesser male.

Albeit after several excrement filled moments and tail wagging, the Super Pastel Lesser male is doing his job with this Pastel Yellowbelly female. I am excited!

One crossed off the list...

Several more to introduce into the list, but hopefully to cross off soon.

Have a great day, my friends!

The Yet to be Proven Breeder Club

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned before, I have several males in the "Yet to be Proven Breeder Male club" (which we will shorten to the YPBMC) , as we all do after breeding for so long. All of these males I have produced over the years, and I have to say that I am glad to have them, albeit a bit apprehensive of their functionality in this seasons go-rounds.

Below, we have my Lemonblast Het Albino male that I produced last year from my Lemonblast to my Albino. My goal was not to make Lemonblast het Albino males, but that is what the outcome ended up being. I produced 2.0, and kept back this male to play around with to create some Albino Pins and Albino Spinners.

You notice how I didn't say Albino Lemonblasts and Albino Spinnerblasts? Yes, I don't really care all that much for the fact that Pastel is a factor with this male. It's a plus, of course, but in Albino form, Pastels have a bit left to be desired. Be that as it may, I love him and he's fun to look at. He is a shy one, and has been residing with my Spider het Albino female... under her water dish.

Fingers crossed with this guy.

And here we have another male I produced last year...

This is my Pewterbee male, one of the nicest ones I've seen around, if I do say so myself. I love his colors, and although I don't find the Cinnamon Spider to be appealing in the least (although may change my mind when I hatch out a few), I want to put him in with a few other females to see what luck may have with this guy.

He is currently in with one of my proven breeder Pastel females, and although I've seen cuddling, I have not seen ACTION.

Come on, little man. You can do it!

And this isn't it, my friends. There are SEVERAL other males in the YPBMC, one of which we already are familiar with, since I complained about him last year.

My friend, Homey.. But we shall discuss him and a few others tomorrow.

Have a great breedingful day, my friends. And send some good breeding mojo my way too. Maybe I will have spoken too soon on some of these guys...

My harshest critic

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Bumblebee Fire

I have been playing with my new "old" Nikon D40 camera, and I have to say, I have a lot to learn! Lots more lighting issues, more background things, and more need for cropping (the view isn't as it seems on the camera versus the photos).

And of course, I am my own harshest critic.

So I am sharing with you some straight from the camera shots to see if you all have any suggestions for me?

I know I could use some help with this. It'll be interesting to figure this out, and I'm ready for the challenge. I did it with the camera I used before, and I'm going to do it for this one.

Onward ho!

Hypo Mojave

And besides the photography, I am having a hell of a time convincing myself that some of my breedings that I have outlined are the best that I can do.

I've started pairing, and so far I have not seen much action, which is not wholly concerning, but is getting me a bit bent out of shape.

Some of the males I am using are not proven breeders, and in my need to make sure that I don't have mystery clutches, should I just keep using these males, or have a backup?

Every year, I have my doubts about specific males... They continue with this years breeders as well. Remember the Clown male? Yeah, he didn't breed at all last year. And so far, he hasn't bred for me yet this year either.

Hypo Mojave

I will be introducing the new males that are involved this year (and hopefully will become proven this year) thru out the rest of the week.

But with doubt comes hesitation...

What to do???

Have a good day, my friends.

Allergies... still here

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Veterans Day!

While dealing with all of the snakes and pairings, the feedings still have to happen, and I am still sniffing like crazy on account of the rats.

I am allergic, and it's not easy to deal with... Especially right now with the dry air and the particulate that comes with rodents and their bedding.


Aaaa-choo!

My eyes burn, my nose runs, and I keep sneezing or coughing. It's not fun sometimes, and today is one of those days.

I do use tongs/hemostats, but I have to say sometimes it doesn't help. Especially when you have to dig thru bedding to find the rodents anyway. Shaving dust is not something that is particularly great to breathe in.

Other things that can and will set me off (and maybe you too?) is the bedding dust for the snakes as well. Sani-chips do have some slight dust, and it does get airborne if you pour it or move it around.

So with sniffles and watery eyes, I feed and pull rats all night long. It takes me around three hours to complete the feeding process, and yes, I do feed live. It's not hard, it's just time consuming. Thursday nights are feeding nights, and they take a while.

But anything to keep the collection happy, healthy and fat!

With tongs and a wary hand, I open tubs, place rats, feed snakes, remove uneaten rats, monitor snakes for issues, and spot clean when needed.

What I do for the things I love...

Have a great day, my friends!

I finally did it... Champagne

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

I finally broke down and got a Champagne.

I have to say, now that I have one, I really like them.

I am ashamed to admit that I should have gotten into them sooner, but... you can't win them all.

The interest for me is more in the patterns and the colors, and the fact that they tend to be ringers like crazy! I can't wait to include this girl into a few projects, but obviously I have a bit of time to decide what that will be.

Can you see her tiny little patch of ringer near the water droplet? Yeah... It's there, and it's cool!

I am really excited about the prospects of this morph and its combinations, so I need to see what I can do to get more involved. (HAH!)

Can't spread myself too thin, so this may be it in the Champagne department for a while, but I am absolutely considering more in the future.

So that is it for now... I'm off to see if I can get more pictures of lock ups and get my act more in sink with my snakes.

Have a great day, my friends!

Distracted...

2011-11-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

I know I had questions to answer... and I have completely been distracted by getting things back in order for the 2012 breeding season, my friends.

So if you asked me a question and I haven't answered it, please ask again!

I will be revisiting making an egg tub as soon as the last few eggs are laid in the next few weeks, so that I remember... But other than that, I am sadly lost.

Sorry guys...

I am not trying to ignore you at all. Just discombobulated and distracted.

Easily distracted, actually....

Ooooh! Look! A Bunny!

HAH!

In wake of that joke, I really am very sorry for not getting back to some of you in terms of your questions.

But I am getting some more breeding plans going, and I feel that a few of the pairings are really excellent. Some, not so much...

It is based upon my males, that are proven and have produced babies, and those that have not that I am counting on that much more for.

Like the clown last year... He turned out to not like the ladies last year. I am really praying to the Ball Python Gods that he is over it and will give me the clowns I have been so desperately craving to hatch since I began.

There are a few other males that are in the same boat. It's difficult to plan a season when you are not sure if the males you intend to use will actually get work done.

THIS is where the Mystery Clutches came about, and honestly, I'd rather go for broke than try that again this year. I don't have time to worry and fuss over what "it" could be.

So the two solutions are to just breed like I planned and just see what happens, or pick up a few more proven breeder male morphs. Problem is, nothing out there that is available is anything I don't already have... So I am stuck.

It's not a fun place to be in, but I think I'm stressing myself out too much over things that I can't change. And this upcoming breeding season is already going to be complicated as it is, seeing as how I will be insanely busy with other life goals, such as school and work and wedding.

Why does it have to be so complicated?

HAH! I like the challenge.

The spice of life, as it were.

So I will be introducing some of the newly transitioned males and hope that I can catch them in some kind of act to justify using them this season as breeder males.

So keep an eye out, and ask your questions, and enjoy your day, my friends.

Pretty White

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have always touted the glory of the leucistic complex morphs, the Lessers, the Mojaves, the Butters.. etc.

Pastel Lesser

And of course, most people love the wow factor of the white animals. Pieds, leucistics, and albinos all have that WOW that even normal people would love to see.

So of course, most of the popular morphs are those that actually have that Wow Factor, or can contribute to that Wow Factor.


Mojave Het Genetic Stripe

Pieds, Albinos, Leucistics are all goal snakes for most people who are beginning out breeding, because they are awesome even out of the egg.

I have to admit, making Albinos and seeing them pip is always a fun thing, due to the fact that you can immediately tell you have something new and different. There is no question as to what they are, and they are always a cool thing to have and see.

So of course, I had to go out of my way and add more WOW factor to the collection.

Welcome to the fold, Black Pastel Pied.

He is VERY high white, and apparently most of them hatch out this way. He even has white nostrils!

There is no coloration to him other than his head. His body is entirely white until his neck and head, and the white bleeds onto his nose as well.

I am super excited to have him in the collection, and I have to say that he is a complete jerk, so I know he'll be a good eater at least. He has already tried to bite me at least fifty times... even through his cup on the way home!

Black Pastel Pied

Gotta love the feisty ones...

Have a great day, my friends!

Pairing up!

2011-11-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it rained this weekend, and I really did get up off my ass and get things done snakewise this weekend. I was shocked at how much I managed to get done with my limited free time.

Everyone is clean, and I was able to stand in the snake room and LOOK.

And by LOOK, I mean envision.

It's an artists time to shine, in pairing specific animals with each other.

So I got a group of animals on lock down, guaranteed this is what they are going to do pairings.

And I put them in together.

Some of them have never bred, so they were not doing anything... Some of them were just not interested.

But some of them, like the Mojave Spider male and the Cinnamon female, were ready to go!

This is within the first four hours of being paired up.

Of course, this was an easy decision pairing...

Now comes the hard ones.

I have plenty of Pastel females to breed to, but what should I combine with them? What would be the best choice?

I feel like I don't have enough male breeder stuff right now, but I think that is just because I can't figure out what is the best choice for what I have left.

It's rather frustrating, really.

But I did acquire a few more animals over the weekend, and I will be introducing them sporadically thru the week.

I didn't end up attending Pasadena at all, so if anyone wants to chime in and share with us how it was, that would be great!

On to a new week! Have a great day, my friends.

Weekend and Plans

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Albino

This weekend, I promised myself I would sit down and get a few things hammered out, as well as get the last few trades and critters complete for the next seasons plans.

I will have a bunch of new photos to share, but until then, we get to admire the babies that I have hatched out this season.

I also get to do a massive clean, which I tend to do after a show. It's hard to bring all those animals back and put them in dirty tubs, and while cleaning those, I always feel bad for the others that I didn't clean as completely.

So massive clean is on the schedule.

What is a massive clean, you ask?

Well, I spot clean and pick things out of sani-chip substrate, and of course change out the paper bedding for the babies... But massive clean means going in, bleaching all of the water bowls, bleaching the tubs, completely new fresh bedding and possibly new tub sizes (this tends to be the reorganization time, as many snakes are displaced by the cleaning anyway).

It is an all day affair, and I need to get it done. This way, I can look at all of the possible breeders of the seasons and get things hammered out, while cleaning and admiring animals as well (and possibly cursing the fact that so many of them are not keeping their tubs spotless).

Spider

It would be great to get it done as well as head over to the Pasadena Reptile Show this weekend. I plan on attending at some point this weekend just to check it out. I have to say I am somewhat relieved not to have to be vending this weekend as well. I already have a ton to do, no point in adding to it right now.

So hopefully plenty of new photos and animals and stories to share very soon.

I am going to get down and dirty this weekend.

How bout you?

Have a great one, my friends!

It's that Time AGAIN...

2011-11-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

I know we discussed breeding and plans a month ago or so, but I am going to tell you, I have not really thought about it since.

I have thought maybe briefly about something here and something there, but not sit down and PLAN kinda thinking.

And now, here we are, a few days past my birthday, which is usually the time where I have already planned things completely out and have started pairing up.

Hey, guess what?

I haven't started pairing up.

So I need to get my act together and get things planned and going and ready, because apparently, it's breeding season again.

Recall that I still have one or two clutches left to be laid...

Yes.

So therefore, I'm not quite mentally prepared to start a new season when the last season hasn't even finished yet!

But... It has to happen, or I may loose valuable breeding time that cannot be retrieved.

The tubs with markers for animals that will breed this year have been up since the last time we discussed, but I really need to get cracking on who goes with who. And of course, stick with that one pairing. No more mystery clutches if I can help it.

Have you guys already started pairing? Have you already planned who to go with who?

You have any suggestions for what you'd like to see next year out of the Heather's Herps menagerie?

As always, I feel like I am late, but the East Coast tends to have earlier clutches than the West just by default seasonal changes.

So off I go, to print out spreadsheets and plan pairings.

And this time, I'm going to do it for REAL.

Have a great day, my friends.

Last Crystal Clutch of the Year

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, this Special Mystery Clutch wasn't so much of a Mystery after the hatching.

The answer for the question?

Pastel Super Mojave was the father yet again this year.

That is totally okay, since there was only one Special animal in the entire four egg clutch. (OUCH)

But it turns out to be a Pastel Crystal, that is less of an ouch.

BUT... She's a girl.

So now I am stuck with the problem of... should I keep her or should I sell her?

She hatched out with 2.1 Mojaves as well, all very nice looking ones to boot.

But of course, in a sea of dark colors, she stands out like a beacon.

And yes, Beacon... not Bacon....

Mmmmm Bacon.

I had all intentions of selling whatever came out of this clutch to pay for various and sundry wedding items that are needed, but... I am conflicted yet again with what to do specifically with this girl.

And tomorrow, I will share the photos of color change between the years. I haven't done that in a while, and with this girl and her older sister, I feel that I need to once again.

So there you go, folks.

Have a great day!

Sacramento

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

So yeah, a day late and a dollar short, but here it is!
(Happy November, by the way)

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised as to how well organized the Sacramento show was, and how well attended. It was a good weekend, although like most shows, Sunday was slower than Saturday.

There was a large convention hallway, and it was full with large walkways and many tables with many different vendors. There was a predominant presence of Leopard Gecko breeders, with many other multiple species breeders there as well.

I didn't get a large amount of time to take individual photos of animals I saw, but I did take some cool photos of booths (and so did Joel).

Hey look, it's mine!

Hey look, It's Joel at the Heather's Herps table!

Here I got a very far away from the location photo of the Phoenix Herpetological Society's setup. It was apparently a zoo/setup to educate the public about reptiles. They had a few venomous, and it looked pretty interesting, but I only walked by briefly, so couldn't tell you more than it was there.

What was interesting is that there were a lot of people completely ignorant about reptiles that stopped by. A frequent question at the show was "Are your snakes poisonous?"

I of course had to correct them.

"Nothing at this show that is for sale would be venomous. Venomous reptiles are illegal in California.. Venomous is the proper term. Poisonous is something you eat that can harm you, while venomous is something that injects venom into you."

A Bunch of People in front of my booth

Another question was "That Albino one gets huge, doesn't it?"

"...No, Ball Pythons max out at 6 feet long. You must be thinking of a different species, like Burmese Pythons or Reticulated Pythons."

One of the "Zoo" setups with things to see

Yeah. It was a lot of talking kind of weekend. It was fun, with lots of excited kids, lots of people wanting to touch the snakes, and a lot of cute kids in costume too.

I LOVED THIS LITTLE GIRL.

What an Angry Little Bird!

It was a great time, and I got to meet a bunch of new people and reconnect with a bunch of new friends. It was worth the trip, and I have to say, I am glad we did it. It was fun to be at a show for my birthday, and although it was "work", I would do it again in a heart beat.

So there you go, my friends.

Have a great day!

BOO!

2011-10-31T21:09:00.001-07:00

HAPPY (Super Late) Halloween!

Short and Sweet

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am actually packing up right now as you read this, more than likely, so I am keeping it short and sweet.

I PROMISE ON MY ENTIRE COLLECTION that I will have Sacramento Show Photos.

I know I've been slacking over the past few shows for lack of getting out there and taking photos of the newest and coolest.

This time, I am DOING IT, folks. And if I don't do it, my aspiring photographer Father will be going around with his fancy camera. And then we will do a photo competition... If I can get the files after all is said and done.

I'm charging the camera, packing the boxes, and getting ready to go.

Wish me luck!

It's going to be a good one :)

Plus, it's my Birthday tomorrow... That means people need to buy snakes, right?

Have a Fantastic Fantabulous Heather's Birthday weekend, my friends!

How I prepare

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last night was a rollercoaster, as is usually the case for days before a show. Joel and I are trying to plan out the trip up to Sacramento, with not enough time in the day to do so.

Tonight is pre-packing night, and there are plenty of things to go over.

I seem to recall doing a checklist for shows, and here it is, for your review and for mine!

How I prepare for a Show

And, for my friend Rex, here is how I prep an egg box!

How I prepare an Egg Box

That one is two years old, and although I haven't changed my technique much, I will get on it to redo another one that is more modern and hip!

And just for those of you that are ahead of me, how I plan my breedings and mark my tubs!

How I prepare to Breed... kinda

I hope to have some cool stuff to share in the next few days, absolutely from Sacramento, and hopefully things to hatch as well.

Have a great day, my friends!

Goal Snakes and Goals in General

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Every breeder out there, big or small, has a goal snake.

This goal snake is what caused them to get into breeding in the first place... That one animal that they want to produce more than anything so that they can have it for their very own.

Sometimes it changes, sometimes it's easily achievable. But it is there, and a constant reminder of how awesome these animals can be.

So the question really is.. What is the goal of all of this?

What is your goal?

Some people have it in their minds to make a ton of everything and make it big.
Some people just want the little things, to make a bunch of stuff they want to make.
Some people want both.

My goals?

Honestly, as the wind blows, so do my goals.

I have a few that are settled, plans for breedings and things to implement into the collection.
What are they?

The Snow Spider, the Mochi Pied, the Axanthic Killerbee

Things that I can do, and that I have been aiming for, trying to work towards, mostly recessive, mostly hard to come by, absolutely fun.

There are of course many things that are close to the vest, like all breeders. Projects that if given away may give people the one up on you. This is a sad thing, to be concerned about someone else stealing your thunder, but such is the way of the industry sometimes.

Am I working on the Mojave Pied? Sure! Am I working on Crystal stuff? Sure! Am I working on the Crystal Pied? Well... yeah, by way of working on the other!

I'm sure I'm not the only one. But people don't talk about it. It's interesting, really. But I just put it out there.

There it is.

Is that a Goal Snake too?

Absolutely.

But like I said, I have many...

What about you?

The Problem with Axanthics

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

You wanna know the problems with Axanthics? The older they get, the more brown they tend to get. And it is VERY hard to get good photographs of the genuine color of the animal.

Babies, it's a bit easier. They are smaller, less light needed to expose the right tones, etc.

Adults? HAH! Put them next to each other and they look completely different.

And remember, lighting is everything in getting the right tone for colors.

Flash, no flash, glare etc... All things that take away from the real colors.

Below is the best representation I could come up with between an Axanthic and a Pastel Axanthic. They are siblings, and you can tell in the photo which one is which.

Here is the Pastel Axanthic again on its own. The Axanthic colors do not go well with Yellows and warm tones, so now is the best time to see the quality of the color.

And below, we have the Pastel Axanthic with an Adult Axanthic. She is NOT that brown in real life, but this photo was taken (poorly) to show the contrast between adult and baby. It is DRASTIC.

Here is another adult, with a bit better overall tone, but still the colors are not true to form. I have yet to perfect my Axanthic takingg skills, and I really feel the need to do so, due to the fact that many people dislike the morph after the first year. I promise, they are worth it!

Axanthics are an awesome morph, and honestly the TSK line does have its faults, but I think that with better photography and more faith in the morph, people will come around.

I know.. maybe wishful thinking? I know I like them...

I promise to get my act together and get better photos. I am not doing them justice.

Have a great day, my friends.

Almost done!

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is one of the last females to lay for 2011, and I have to say, I'm glad to see it! She was one of those females I wasn't sure was going to go at all, until I saw her ovulate several months after everyone else.

I have one or two more females that are going to lay, and that should be it for this season. Basically... This season is going to end during the beginning of the next one. WHEW!

It hasn't been like that for me in a long time, if at all. I am surprised at this, but honestly.. I'm not really concerned. As long as these gals are ready and healthy and give me eggs when they are ready, who am I to complain, eh?

Anyway, this girl was mainly bred to the Enchi, so I am expecting Pastel Enchis in the next few months. She was bred to the Sterling waaaayyy early in the season, but considering he was not involved for at least 4-5 months before the eggs, I can't imagine him being the father. But... here we are, waiting to find out.

She gave me eight beautiful little eggs, so I can't wait to see some good stuff from this clutch. Also, the last few clutches did hatch, and there are some fun things to share!

This clutch hatched out on Saturday, early, of course. This was the Pastel Super Mojave to Genetic Stripe clutch. One egg went bad, and the end count was:

1.0 Pastel Mojave het Genetic Stripe, 1.2 Mojave het Genetic Stripe

I will take it! I am really excited to make some Pastel Mojave Stripes!

This girl came out of the Caramel to Hypo clutch, the only one... The other eggs went bad. But look! She is a Hypo!!! I have no idea why, and the Caramel male was not traced back to being a het, but this is a Hypo.. I don't know what's going on.

She may be a Hypo Het Caramel, but it'll be a few years before we find out. HOORAY for fun Het stuff!

And the next clutch due to hatch is my most exciting clutch of the season. In a few days, we get to find out who was the father of the Special female clutch. Four eggs are still viable, and I can't wait to see what is going to pop out...

Have a great day, my friends!

Once again...

2011-10-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have nothing of importance to share..

The next clutch to hatch will be next week sometime, and the next clutch to be laid is around that same time. There is a LOT of random spaces in between this season, and I try not to start breeding things until the end of the last season is over. Which... it is not.

So not only do I try not to think about pairings (which I haven't had much time to do anyway), I have not had much to talk about snakewise.

So I will delve into the photo galleries and post up random photos and talk about them.

TSK Axanthic Spider

I absolutely love the Axanthic Spiders... They look GREAT and they have not lost a touch of their silver color at all. I am really excited to put them in with the Pastel Axanthic stuff and finally make my Axanthic Killerbee, which is a project I have been gunning for for the past several years.

And add to that the fact that they are all possible het Albino or 100% het Albino, I plan on doing Snow Spiders and working that in there as well. It's going to be a great fun time with Axanthics, and although some people just don't like them... I do, and I see plenty of potential with them.

I am debating on making some double het TSK Axanthic Pieds or something like that.. Work another recessive in there. Can you imagine a Snow Pied? THAT right there would be a fun and difficult project to work on..


Queenbee

And I can't help but admire the Queenbee. It is a great animal to have in terms of genetics (Pastel, Lesser and Spider), but look at the WOW factor on this one! I LOVE THE ORANGE on the sides! I really am very excited to see how the sides color up, and how this gal grows into her colors. I am so excited to have her in the collection, as she is going to be one to watch for a while...

So of course, we go into another weekend, but this time I actually get to relax and enjoy some snakes! I hope to get everything settled and updated very soon, just in time for the Sacramento Show.

Have a great relaxing weekend, my friends.

Crossroads

2011-10-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am finally with more time to spend on things, and I apologize for being less than interesting over the last few months.

I finished up my weekend courses, and I have been doing evening classes during the week that will still continue, but I am done with weekends, which will open me up to a lot more free time to get photos and more information.

I have been waiting to get my collection up, the available page up to date, and a few other things.

It's been hard, and I am sorry for being boring while I deal with outside of snake life. It's been trying, but I am glad I did it. On to the next one!

So now that I have more free time, what do I do with it???

Get my act together, that's what.

I am attending the Sacramento Reptile Show this upcoming end of the month, so I get to prepare for a traveling show.

I have never done a travelling show before, so this will be a new one too.

I love new things to be able to share with you all. It'll be interesting, since I won't have a chance to go home to get anything during the show... Gotta make sure we have everything!

Growing up and growing out into the world with the snake game...

No time to be distracted right now. Focus is back on, baby!

Any suggestions from those of you who have a billion things going on, how to balance everything?

I'd love to hear from you guys about this.

Have a great day, my friends.

Fun with Photos!

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

I know I mentioned this before briefly, but I am participating in a Calendar for charity that the theme is "Heels for Herps"

I love it!

So of course, for charity sake, I had my friend Lewie come over and take some photos of my heels and my Balls!

We have many different shoots, so I am showing you the ones that didn't quite make the cut. Every month is another female herper with her animals and her heels. It's a great idea, and this year is going to be awesome!

Here is the link for Last Years Calendar.

Make sure to check back in about this in November, when I believe the next years Calendar will be available. Of course, if you are interested, I will remind you on the blog.

(Even if you aren't, I'll probably still do it. I'm all about helping charities!)

That there is the Super Pastel Lesser being shy..

Do you love it? I had a lot of fun with this, although some snakes were less interested in participating, and as we snake owners well know, getting a snake to cooperate is sometimes impossible.

Also, I had some photos taken of the collection for those that were not in shed and that were ready and willing, so not everyone (if you couldn't tell) got their picture taken.

Here are a few that I liked a lot that did. Of course, they are uploaded on the collection page.

Pastel Butter Spider

I am going to get a better camera by the end of the month, and I plan on learning how to take some more classy photos. It's going to be a good time!

Especially considering all of the pretty critters I have to pick from...

But I gotta do the things I promised first. Hopefully tomorrow night I can get some good photos. Fingers crossed for legitimate blog topics with applicable photos.

Super Pastel Mojave

Have a great day, my friends!

The Cost of Doing Business

2011-10-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

I see frequently that people that are new to the industry are coming in with champagne wishes and caviar dreams... "I am going to buy a few female morphs, a male morph and I will make a TON of money in this, because look at the prices of those combinations out there!"

And the most glaring thing I see is that people do NOT account for the cost of doing business with animals as your "stock" item.
So let's go over it, shall we?

First off:

Housing: Rack Systems are a valuable resource, but recall that they need Thermostats to control temperature, they need electricity to run said temperatures, as well as the need for tubs, a source of bedding, be it wood or paper, as well as hides, water bowls, and cleaning supplies for the housing. I am adding Incubators here because that is housing of the eggs...

Rack System: $100 (homemade) up to $2-3k+
Thermostats: $25 (cheap) to $300+
Electricity: $Variable dependant on the amount used, monthly expense
Tubs: $1-$15+ each, dependant
Bedding: $0-$30+, dependant, monthly expense
Hides: $1-$5+ each, dependant
Cleaning Supplies: $5-$50+, dependant (Chlorhexidine is cheap to expensive depending on the % purity)
Incubators: $50-$300+, dependant

Food: Rats are not cheap, and although mice are cheaper, an adult animal can eat more than one at one feeding, so the costs tend to be equivalent. If you intend to breed your own rodents, the cost also needs to be factored in.

Rats: $1-$5+ each, per week per animal (possibly more)

Mice: $0.50-$2+ each, per week per animal (possibly more)
Rodent Food: $10-$20+ a bag, dependant, monthly expense
Rodent Racks: $75-$200, dependant
Water/Utilities: $10-$50+, (air conditioning for seasonal changes) dependant monthly expense

Space: This is rather arbitrary, but if you are doing business, this is an important thing to think about. Where are you keeping these animals? Renting a location is one thing, but most people do it out of their homes or a facility on their property. This means that you have to consider the utilities again for the location in which you are keeping your animals.

Water: $10-$50+, monthly expense
Electricity: $10-$50+, monthly expense

Space Cost: $TBD dependant on your location
Environmental Controls: $20-$100+ dependant on your location, monthly expense
(NOTE: Seasonal changes will make things more expensive)

Miscellaneous: This falls under Vet visits, Reptile Vending costs, etc... These can vary depending on your animal number, and your intent for your business, but keep in mind that these are all costs to pay attention to.

These include but is not limited to: Website design and upkeep, internet costs, advertising costs on forums and otherwise, reptile shows and vending costs, veterinarian costs and medications, shipping costs including boxes and heating/cooling packs, and other items.

And last but not least....

Animal Cost: This should be the final factor in your decisions to purchase an animal. This cost should be dependant upon your ability to cover the costs that were addressed previous to this point.

IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY MORE THAN JUST FOR THE ANIMAL, YOU SHOULD RE-EVALUATE YOUR PLANS.
And note, the more animals you have, the more expensive the overhead to keep them.

So keep a cool head, calm and collected.. Look over everything you WANT to do, and then look over what you CAN.

Then, I say "Go for it!"

Have a great day, my friends!

Collection Photos Again!

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Crystal

This year has been a year of a great many new things, and I have been trying to get the best photos of the new stuff I can. The problem is, I am having a hard time finding enough time to get everything I want to get done completed.

I am coming around with much more time on my hands after this weekend, so I will be able to FINALLY be able to do the things I said I would.

Sorry for being such a slacker.

Bumblebee Fire

One of those things that I said I would do is get all of the collection photos up to date. I'm working on it, and as you can see if you actually do go look on the collection page, I have at least made sections of the collection for the animals that are missing.

So we are on our way, slowly but surely.

And of course, while I have the camera out, I will try and take photos of animals that you guys want to see, including some comparison photos if I can come up with some clever ones over the course of the photo session.

Now that I have a Vanilla male, I will take some photos of comparison of Special stuff, and so on and so forth. I know that is always something people want to see...

So what else?

This on top of needing to seriously look into the next years breedings, which tend to begin at the end of the month typically for me. I am considering pushing it back a few weeks to be able to consolidate my plans.

It's going to be interesting, and I usually feel like I am behind when the East Coast gets eggs three months before me, but that is the way of the West Coast breeders. The seasons come slower over here, and therefore the response development time for most snakes is slower.

I have come to accept it, but it doesn't make it any easier when you see people with eggs pipping when you haven't even gotten your first clutches of the season yet.

Maybe it's just me... Seems like every season, my females tend to go just a little bit later than before. Oh well. Patience is a virtue, right?

Have a great day, my friends.

Gargoyle

...break...

2011-10-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys.. I was planning on doing a grand Friday blog, but got caught up with things last night. Didn't get a chance to do it. I will do it this weekend and get it up on Monday.

Sorry.

Have a great weekend, my friends!

Problem Feeders and what to do

2011-10-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the season of problem feeders... Babies that have hatched out and have yet to thrive.

Here's a good calendar of events to follow.

After a hatchling has shed, offer a pre-killed or live rat fuzzy within the first week of shed. If the critter has not shed yet after 2-3 weeks of hatching, feed anyway.

If the snake has not eaten on its own, offer every 4-5 days until it does, with the caveat that if it does not eat on its own within 6 weeks, consider assist feeding.

This is really dependant upon the snake themselves...

If the snake look emaciated and does not respond to touch well or flicker its tongue, it is time to intervene.

Assist feeding is a simple-ish process, and I will actually go thru how to do it with photos on Friday.

Do not force feed unless absolutely necessary and do not stress out your animal overly, or you defeat the purpose of getting the animal comfortable and get them to eat.

Make sure they have plenty of water, and are in a tub that is relatively small (if there is no hide and they are not eating, that may be something to try, or crumpled up paper).

Patience is a virtue with hatchlings, but there is a fine line of when to get involved. Again, it depends on the animal, and if the skin gets loose, the animal is not too responsive, that is the time to get aggressive.

If the animal just is picky, I would suggest leaving them alone for a feeding cycle (or a few days) and try again. Mouse hoppers are a good choice for those that are just picky...

Start out with rat fuzzies, move to mouse hoppers if needed. THEN try assist feeding...

I hope that helps those of you out there that have been having issues.

Have a great day, my friends!

Black and White Comparison

2011-10-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

I think I have mentioned more than a few times how much I like the Mojaves and how much I like Cinnamons and Black Pastels.

Black Pastel Mojave

They may be base morphs that are getting rather common these days, but I absolutely love what they do to things, and to each other.

It's interesting what a solid Black snake maker and a solid White snake maker come together and create.

It's fascinating.

So of course, now that I have a few of the combinations to compare, I wanted to actually delegate a full blog to them.

Cinnamon Mojave

I kept back the Black Pastel Lesser female from last year, so I feel kind of obligated in a way to keep back these girls as well.

It's going to be very interesting to see the changes in colors as they grow.

Right now, they are very different, yet similar.

Cinnamon Mojave and Black Pastel Mojave side by side

As you can see clearly, the Cinnamon Mojave is a light grey animal compared to the darker colors of the Black Pastel. The Black Pastel Mojave has a deep chocolate tone with lots of golds and yellows, and a very dark head. The Cinnamon Mojave is brown, but with a touch of grey, light yellows and whites on the sides due to blushing. The head is lighter, and overall it has a lighter color.

We will revisit these critters in a few more months to see if there are any changes towards different color tones as they age.

I love being able to share these comparisons with you, as I know that I wonder when I see morphs that could be considered similar, if there is an opportunity to compare side by side. So if you have any requests, please let me know!

Have a great day, my friends!

Collection Update

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I just got my photo shoot on with my friend Lewie, who does my snake photo shoots when he's around. He took most of the photos on the collection page, so I wanted him to continue to do so for consistency sake, plus he takes some good pictures!

We went thru all of the new stuff that I have accumulated so far over this season, and I am shocked by how many new combinations I have made and how many new morphs I need to update the list with.

I believe it was somewhere around fifteen or twenty new morphs, including the new Vanilla male, a few new breeder male things I picked up, and the newer combinations that I produced this year for holding back.

On top of all of that, we did some photos for a charity calendar that I hope will be coming out soon. More information to come on that when the calendar becomes more solid.

Heels and Herps. It's a gorgeous combination...

And no, since he had the camera, I don't have any pictures to share as of this moment... Sorry.

I will be touching on a few topics soon that have been requested, but it has been a busy day, so I am going to make it brief.

So to summarize...

More pictures on the Collection page soon.
Photos of Heels and Herps to come soon... on a Calendar.
More things to come very soon!

Have a great day, my friends!

Not done yet!

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Chubby Female Pastel

Well, the season is coming to a close, but I'm not even done yet! I know we have mentioned that planning for the next season is already underway, as I tend to start my next breeding season on my Birthday, but this time it may not happen.

With everything going on, my Birthday actually falls on the Saturday of the Sacramento Reptile Show, so while we will be snake-ing that day, I will not be able to pair up any animals.

I am expecting two more clutches to lay, one from the female above and another late female as well. The incubator is still on, and I doubt that it will be shut down until January at this point..

But that is alright!

It doesn't mean that things aren't going to happen, it just means that things are going to happen a bit later than usual.

Black Pewter

I'm also trying to get around to taking a lot of new pictures of critters, as the collection variety has expanded.

I fully intend on getting a few more things done, as well as photos and introduce some new topics to discuss, a few of which have been requested.

I am also doing a few auctions on my Facebook Page located here. If you are on Facebook, check out my page and like it! If you want to be involved in the auctions, you must like the page. Some great deals happen over there, including discounts on purchases and fun games!

Anyway, have a great Monday, my friends.

I got Bitten!

2011-10-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a LONG time since I've had this kind of mishap, and honestly, it was my fault.

It's been a few weeks since my rodent provider has had mediums, so I have been feeding the adults rather small meals, and I only get a delivery every week.

One small rodent a week for some is not enough.

So last night, I finally got some mediums, went thru the adult rack holding medium live rats by the tail.

I had a rat in one hand, and was opening the tub with the other. Apparently, my hand was more appealing than a medium white and black rat.

The snake flew out of the tub, mouth agape.

Imagine my hand, thumb and pointer finger holding the tail of a rat, facing this mouth.

I couldn't move fast enough.

She got my hand right at the meat, and started to STRANGLE MY HAND.

Anyway, she would not let go.

This is a FULL GROWN ADULT female Ball Python, granted a bit skinny from laying eggs, but still. She enveloped my entire hand, and did not let go.

At first, I grabbed the Chlorhexidine and sprayed her face. I heard that Alcohol does the trick, and that was as close as I had at the moment. It didn't work. And no, Alcohol is not Chlorhexidine or vice versa.

But at the time, it seemed like a good idea.

Anyway, I then realized after a few spritzes that it wasn't working, so I walked to the sink, turned on the water, and put her face under it.

It took a good 30 seconds for her to let go, even under a constant flow of water.

She let go, I put her back in the tub and fed her immediately, and she subsequently ate two medium rats.

My hand has the marks to prove it, but it didn't hurt too bad, nor did it bruise or bleed too much.

It does have the mark of a mouth, however.

Cool story for the Office, eh?

This has only happened once before, when I went to rescue a Normal from a home that wasn't feeding their animal properly. Same story, pretty much.

The snake was smaller in that case, and we pried her off with a pencil instead of water (this was over 6 years ago, and at a strangers house). It worked, although the pain was worse in that case due to more manipulation of the jaws on my hand.

And what's funny is, Bitey (the name of the critter who I rescued) is still with me!

Ahh, the good ole days.

So that is my story to lead up to the weekend, my friends.

Be careful, feed well, and love your snakes.

Have a great weekend.

SIDE NOTE: We will be vending at Sacramento on October 29th and 30th. It is my birthday that weekend, and I decided to "work"! Hope to see you there!

I'm a Lame-oh.

2011-10-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Alrighty, people! The color of the season has been chosen!

As I had mentioned before, the last year was Neon Orange (which looks yellow in this photo...)

I write down who goes with who that year on the sticker.

Example above is the Het Genetic Stripe Female, who was bred by "G", the Genetic Stripe male.

Simple, right?

So now, I remember that this last season, this female was bred by G, but this year, I have yet to decide!

(Actually, I have decided... It's going to be the Pastel Genetic Stripe!)

But since I have not written it down, it is not yet official.

It must be written on the red sticker for 2012.

So it shall be.

Yes, I am a Lame-oh, and I enjoy it very much.

And you want to know how much more of a Lame-oh I am?

I went out of my way to find more stickers/labels to indicate things occurring on the tubs by just looking at them.

So... What did I do?

I got SMILEY FACE STICKERS!

In lovely neon colors as well...

Now I have yet to determine what I am going to indicate with these awesome tons of stickers that I now possess, but I will figure it out.

Something positive!

Maybe next year I can use these as the color indicators for breeders... Maybe the Blue Faces, eh?

Off I go to plan more stuff. I really am getting on the ball, I think. I just need a bit more time is all...

Have a great day, my friends!

Break

2011-10-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Need a middle of the week break for a day.

Will return hopefully somewhat recharged with awesome stories, and updated website :)

Have a great day, my friends.

Sanity Check

2011-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what the heck is going on.

I bred my Spider het TSK Axanthic ph Albino to my Albino, thinking there would be some Albinos in the clutch. He didn't prove out with the other Albino clutch, but it was much smaller, so there was a chance he could be a Het still.

NOW we have the clutch hatched, with two Albinos in it (one dead in the egg), three eggs went bad, and this thing.

Here it is again with its sibling.

Note that there were no Spiders, and that the Albino is not a known het for Axanthic.

I have no idea what is going on.

On top of everything, these guys have small heads. Not off by a ton, but they are stubby...

So I am stuck scratching my head, trying to figure out if its something that I did during the season, or if my Albino female is a het Axanthic, and if this is a random Snow from an Albino? Or if this is just a very light faded Albino...

Yeah, I need a sanity check.

Off to send some pictures to friends.

What do you guys think?

Have a great day, my friends!

Planning

2011-10-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

HAPPY OCTOBER! (My favorite Month of the year!)

This next season is coming up way to quickly.

I have made the list of possible breeders, although it is not complete, and it has yet even be established who is going with who really.... It has been made.

The real serious stuff begins when I actually start weighing critters to see if they make the cut.

1200 grams is my minimum cutoff for females, and honestly, for some projects that are more important, it is 1500 grams.

Green (last year) stickers for the females that are ready to go, Yellow or Red for those who are not quite there. I may change it up, since my Stoplight Color Scheme works only depending on the colors of the year.

Let me explain.

Every year, there is a new dot color... New in the sense that it wasn't used last year. Last years color dots stay up for the current year as a quick reference for what was bred to that female last year. This year, the color has to be obviously different.

I have been able to use a different color EVERY YEAR I have initiated this system, and yes, I go out of my way to find new color labels.

This past season, the color has been Orange.. A Nice Neon Orange to get the eyes focused.

This year, I have yet to determine.

And THAT will be when the seriousness begins.
When the color of the year is chosen, it's on like Donkey Kong.

Maybe a nice cranberry or chartreuse?

HAH! No, it will be based on the availability of colors of stickers at the local office supply store.

And those stickers will be the first indicators of what male goes where.

THESE are the initial records for me to keep track of what males have been in what tubs. I usually write down every male, but with the craziness of this past year, Mystery Males were prevalent.

Note to self: Write shit down.

Every year there is something, and this year coming up is going to be a tough one too. With life coming around and getting in the way of serious snake business, it will be interesting to see how I can juggle everything and keep the organization up to par.

It's going to be a challenge, but I'm sure it'll be great fun.

And it begins with the color labels.

And getting my act together. And writing shit down.

Yeah... I better get on that.

Have a great day, my friends!

Funny looking and Wow!

2011-09-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

I finally gave in to picking up another Clown. I really like her, and I am in Clown mode right now. I love that I finally have another one, albeit not as reduced pattern as the male, but pretty damned cool if I do say so myself.

The head pattern is so cool! It's like a puzzle... Funny looking, but interesting.

She has a few years, but I have plenty of plans for her.

Fingers crossed for a quick growth spurt.

The Clown project is something that I didn't get into too strongly, and I'm trying to make up for it.

She's a start!

Pastel Lesser to Normal clutch blew me away after hatching.

NO NORMALS. This is redemption from last year and the double co-dom to normal ALL NORMAL fiasco.

Here they all are....

4.0 Lessers, 1.0 Pastel

And the gals...

0.2 Pastel Lesser, 0.1 Lesser

I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with the results, although I would have liked to have more females...

Lesser males, anyone?

Have a great day, my friends

Already freaking out

2011-09-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well... Yeah

I'm already freaking out.

The season isn't even over for me, but I am already looking towards the future in terms of what to breed, what to accumulate, and who to try to get to size.

And yes, every year, it seems to be more overwhelming than the last year.

And it is.

I am flying by the seat of my pants in terms of what to do next season, with a few thoughts flitting thru my mind, but nothing solid, nothing guaranteed, nothing until the babies hatch from this season, really.

I like to think that when I know what I have, I will work on what I need to make.

This of course is a fallacy of sorts, as I make what I think is a good idea at the time, not necessarily what I NEED to make.

And of course, with life and work tending to take precedence over dreaming about snakes, I feel that I don't have enough time to plan.

So, like this past year, I just wing it.

I don't want to wing it.

Winging it is for lazy people who can't plan... like me!

But it's time for a change. A change for the better, a time to focus and get my act together.

But the question really is, what is the SMARTEST move on my part?

Get an amazing breeder male that I can plug into everything?
Get a few more adult breeder female somethings?
Get a bunch more holdbacks for this year to grow up?

ALL OF THE ABOVE???

Or none... And just work with what I have?

Sigh...

Yes, I am whining.

It's tough when you are so wishy-washy in terms of what to do. It's not that I don't have plenty to do, it's that half way thru, when the female has ovulated, I realize "HEATHER! You could have put her in with THAT GUY and gotten THAT MORPH instead of the one you just planned to do."

Regrets tend to come into play, although after the eggs hatch, it is less important.

So again, I don't wanna be that person.

I wanna do good things, make some amazing morphs for amazing people who want them.
(I know this will happen no matter what, but still...)

So off I go, to dwell in my thoughts with a glass of Merlot.

By the time you read this, I'll be at work, thinking about statistical analysis, machines and international time changes, but if you want to chime in to my predicament, I'd sure appreciate it.

Have a fantastic day, my friends.

Sterling Mojave clutch

2011-09-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, the Sterling Mojave clutch has shed out (mostly), and I felt the need to take some pictures.

Here we have the only Cinnamons in the clutch, the two Sterling Mojaves and the Cinnamon Mojave.

I really like the Cinnamon Mojave, and when the Black Pastel Mojave sheds out (which is taking a while), I will do a comparison blog.

But until then, I will just share the individual photos. It will be really interesting to see the differences in color change and age for these guys, and I can't wait to put them in the rotation! So many possibilities...

Anyway, the first thing I noticed about the Sterling Mojaves and the Cinnamon Mojave was a difference in eye color.

Sterling Mojaves have silver eyes.. Not blue, but silver. The Mojave Cinnamon has brown eyes. It was very interesting to see! (And now you can see too!)

Honestly, I can't wait to see how these critters grow into their colors. Sterlings tend to be very light as babies, but develop some amazing yellows over a year. I anticipate this being the case for these guys as well.

I have been debating about keeping the male. I'm still not sure, so we shall see.

In the next few days, there should be some Lessers and Pastels and Pastel Lessers hatching out. The Caramel Clutch went mostly bad, with 1.1 Hets surviving...

The clutch hatching is slowing down, so this should be optimum time for questions, as well as planning for next season blogs.

ARGH! I'm not ready for that yet... But Fall is here, and its time to think about it.

Let me get thru a few more weeks first.

Have a great day, my friends!

Prayers Needed- Pro Exotics

2011-09-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, as you may or may not know, the Reptile Industry is a rather small community in the big picture of life. But if you have been around long enough, you get to know who has been around. People who have been in the business for a while, people who are just starting to get their names out there..

Lots of people with lots of things, making up an eclectic mix of reptile lovers and breeders.

So with that introduction, I want to dedicate this blog to a company that has been around for a while (way before I came onto the scene), one that has been devastated by a tragedy yesterday morning.

Pro Exotics Reptiles, an industry leader in the Desert game, had a horrible fire at their facility in Colorado, and lost their entire stock of animals as well as the building, which they shared with several other businesses. Over 3000 animals were lost in the blaze.

Read the Article here (Forgive the Bald Pythons...)

Watch the Interview with Chad and Robyn here.

It's a sad day when that many creatures lose their lives, as well as for the Breeders themselves. Chad and Robyn have been in the industry for almost 20 years, and they have managed many successes, many firsts. Now those animals are gone...

How would you feel if that happened to you?

I know I would be devestated, as well as heart broken.

So with that, please send all the healing and loving thoughts you can, prayers and well-wishes to Chad and Robyn at Pro Exotics.

Don't take anything for granted.

Have a great day, my friends.

Hatchling Issues

2011-09-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, as in every season of breeding, one gets hatchlings (hopefully). When you are lucky enough to have viable hatchlings, the next step is to get them going.

And sometimes, it just doesn't work.

Here are some problems that one finds as a breeder.

1) Non-Feeders:

Some critters have extra yolk to absorb compared to others, and therefore don't need to eat for a few weeks after being hatched out. This is the best scenario, as they just are fatties getting a little less fat before switching from the mother's "milk", so to speak. Other situations become apparent when babies are skinny, you can see their spines, and they just have no interest in any food item.

How do you resolve this issue? Assist feeding. Pre-kill a small prey item (mouse hoppers tend to be a good choice) and put it into the mouth. Usually this is enough of a stimulant to allow for a response, and the snake swallows. Sometimes it is not enough even then, and the animal doesn't respond to anything. In this case, water and patience is the only way to go. Force-feeding should be a last resort, and is not fun for anyone.

2) Problems:

I just had an animal pass away that did not appear to have a well functioning digestive tract. Her stomach and vent area were bloated, and the material did not pass quickly if at all. She ate fine, but eventually succumbed to the lack of regular body flow and passed. Other animals hatch out with kinks, physical problems, and even missing parts. These are par to the course when dealing with live animals, and it should be something that you as a breeder are aware of. It's again, not fun... but it happens. And you have to come to terms with it.

3) Non-Shedders:

This is a small problem for some, and honestly, it is not that big of a deal depending on the situation. Shiny babies are cute and all, but if they stay shiny, there may be a physiological problem with them that you can't see other than the lack of shedding. The best bet is to treat them like normal, and when they grow by feeding and age, they will eventually shed out, given there are no other hidden issues.

So what do you look for in problem babies?

Well, as I just addressed..

-Non-shedders
-Non-feeders
-Bloating, digestive issues, lack of waste passing
-Color change... (If your baby goes from a white belly to a yellow, this is not a good sign)
-Poor muscle tone/movement (If your baby can't move well, that is also a bad sign)

If any of these are the case, you need to put that critter on watch. If you are concerned, take it to a qualified reptile vet. All of these things are things to do to keep your babies healthy and thriving. Do all you can do make it so.

But realize in the end, there are sometimes fights you just can't win.

Have a great day, my friends.

SATISFACTION!

2011-09-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

I finally got it kinda sorta done, folks.

I have updated my available page with everything I can think of that I have that I am ready to sell.

Kinda...

Things are shedding and other things are going to be hatching, and I have some animals in the holdback rack that more than likely could be sold if I wanted to put it up... BUT!!!!

For now, I have most all of it done.

And it feels great.

I have to say, it is a huge undertaking to update a list that is constantly changing, with photos of constantly growing animals and things that you may or may not want to sell looming on the list...

THAT, my friends, is my biggest problem.

But, with four pages of availability, I think I'm safe for right now.

My holdbacks are in the rack, growing and eating and pooping and stuff, like they should. I should go and stare at them more often, and maybe then I will be less inclined to go out and buy another something for the collection.

Tunnel vision...

And of course, like most collectors and addicts, I can always come up with good reasons to keep awesome animals.. Like this female above. She is awesome. Beyond awesome... Like, I wouldn't mind keeping her awesome... But... I don't need to.

And Joel tends to remind me of that.

I already bought another few hatchling racks to put up, even though I'm not sure where they are going to go...

It's a fun time, but I have to say, I am very satisfied with myself for accomplishing something that has eluded me this past month, and has prevented many a customer from seeing information and photos clearly. (The information part I have to go back and edit, but... bear with me)

So we go into the weekend completed (mostly).

And things are looking good.

So have a great weekend, my friends. Enjoy it! Be satisfied!

Flavors...

2011-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

I love the fact that some critters in the Ball Python world are named after food.

Caramel... Chocolate... Butter... Cinnamon.... Champagne... Banana... Candy... Sugar...

Hell, with all of these ingredients, we could bake a cake!

But the ingredient I am interested in today is the one I acquired a few weeks ago.

Welcome to the fold, Vanilla! (He is also het Hypo)

Maybe Vanil-ypo?

Anyway, I have never had a Vanilla in the collection, and like many people after the Vanilla Creme hatched out, I craved them. So I found this guy for sale, and scooped him up as soon as I could. He is a side project for sure, and he will be great fun to play around with.

His color is amazing! I honestly think they are somewhat nicer looking than Fires in a way.
He is much brighter than some of mine, but then again, he is also Het Hypo, which considerably lightens the tone of most creatures.

And I love his head! He was not cooperating as well as I would have liked, but I did manage to get a few photos of his bright head.

He was playing coy.

I can't wait to combine him with some of my Fire stuff, as well as a few other things. Hypo Mojave Vanillas? Yeah, baby! It should be a fun time playing around with this gene... And like many things, I am sad that I didn't get involved with this gene sooner. But c'est la vie! I have this guy now, and I'm going to rock it!

What would you put with him?

Have a great day, my friends!

The Future...

2011-09-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

So I was having a conversation with my new friend Jesse, and he asked me straight out what I thought about the future of Ball Pythons.

And as someone who has seen the rise and fall of the Boa market (and other markets) due to legislation, I want to discuss it with you all.

I think that Ball Pythons are still a safe bet. They are great pets, small enough to not be intimidating to most people, docile, and easy to take care of. They don't require that much space, and they are just pretty to look at. People tend to like them, even those that are new to the world of reptiles.

While all of this is true, it is still a good idea to be wary of new laws and propositions that are going to affect the ability of the public to own reptiles, as this will affect you and I drastically.

But again, Ball Pythons are safe for now. I don't see them as being the "bad boy" of the reptile world, considering they are one of the three go to pets for most new people that own exotics.

What are the three go to reptilian pets in terms of ease and care?

Corn Snakes, Leopard Geckos, and Ball Pythons.

You can add Bearded Dragons, Pacman Frogs and Red Eared Sliders to the list as well. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but those are the most common pet reptiles I see around.

But I digress...

Ball Pythons are a great pet, and I really do see the market for the animals continuing on the basis of combinations and new traits that keep happening to pop up. There are plenty of new things to create and combine, and I like to think that there will not be an end in the foreseeable future.

I do see that this year has been a slower year than most, as many people are still struggling to maintain in the current economy. But I also see it slowly but surely increasing, and that is a good sign.

What do you all think?

We can all see that the basic co-dom market is dropping, as to be expected, but as are recessives.

Do you think it will even out? Do you think things will keep dropping? What are the things to keep looking towards?

These are all things to think about, to share, to converse about. It's an interesting topic for sure, and I think it will be a great thing to get a better idea of what the general community thinks.

Share your thoughts, if you can. I'd love to hear them!

Have a great day, my friends.

~New Males~

2011-09-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, there were a few males I have picked up over the last couple months, and this guy finally decided to shed out and be presentable for photos.

This is my new TSK Snow male.

Yes, I know that he looks like a faded Albino, but he is a Snow. Apparently Snows tend to get lighter as they age.

This guy is a year old, and he is going to get better with age.. Like Wine!

I can't wait to use him!

I know he isn't the nicest All White snake in the world, but I honestly think for a double recessive, he is pretty kick ass.

How can you be upset at an Albino Axanthic, right?

And you can't expect something like that to be solid white.

You know what he reminds me of?

Jelly Belly Popcorn Jellybeans.

They are super gross tasting, but the colors are very similar.

Maybe I will call him Jellybelly.

Maybe....

I have a few more males to share, but time will have to allow for it.

Until then, I gotta update the available page, the collection page, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

Wooosahhhh.

Have a great day, my friends!

How Pretty!!!

2011-09-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

There was a huge response from last Friday's sexing blog, and I plan on elaborating on a few things when I get a chance tonight or tomorrow.

But, without having a second pair of hands to take photos, hatchling photos will have to do.

My Super Pastel Mojave to Pewter clutch hatched, and I am very pleased with the results!

I got 1.1 Sterling Mojaves, 1.1 Pastel Super Mojaves, 0.1 Pastel Mojave, and 0.1 Cinnamon Mojave.

I love it! I have never hatched out Sterling Mojaves, and I have to say, I really like them! I look forward to seeing them grow into their colors.

Even the Pastel Mojave is awesome! It looks almost Super, although I doubt it is... The Cinnamon Mojave is stunning as well. I don't need to keep her, but I kinda want to...

Of course the Black Pastel Mojave will be held back, so maybe this Cinnamon Mojave girl will have to be as well. It's an interesting comparison that will be photojournalised very soon.

Aren't the Sterling Mojaves fantastic? I can't get over how awesome they look. I can't WAIT to see them shed.

Yay for an awesome clutch and some kick-ass odds.

Here's to a few more by the end of the year.. Fingers crossed!

Have a great day, my friends!

SEX! (ing) -Popping Ball Pythons-

2011-09-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

ALRIGHTY!

I finally got the photos to a place where I want to share, and although I need a manicure, I think it is finally time to touch on sexing again.

Popping Ball Pythons 101

Are you ready?

YEAH, baby.

So for the sake of exposure, and for the need to allow the snakes to not just be exposed for their private parts, I have included an introductory photo of who I was popping at the time.

Exhibit A: Pewter het Red Axanthic..

For those of you who follow the blog, you know what sex this animal is.

But for the sake of arguement, let's pretend we don't know right now.

Here we have some private parts, aka junk being popped out.

Note the red nubbins popping out of both sides. They are RED.

This is an immature male.

Exhibit B: Cinnamon (het Pied)

Such a pretty critter. I really like this one. Almost a solid stripe... Kept it back for a reason. I hope that some of its babies are similar in scope.

Anyway I digress.

Note the purpley-er (yes, it is a word today) penes, darker in color and more pronounced. In a fully mature male, these will extend completely out, and taper out into a flower-like structure at the ends.

This is again an immature male, but nearing maturity, if not already developing slight plugs.

That white stuff is not plugs. It was urates.

Exhibit C: Pastel Mojave

I love this creature. The colors are amazing the older it gets.

Makes me want to hold back a few more...

Note the lack of red.. There is pink, there are nubbins, but nothing blood colored, and nothing protuding out very far at all.

This is a subadult female.

Exhibit D: Super Pewter

LOVE this morph. End of story.

Note the lack of blood red, and the nubbins. Females have nubbins, just not very big ones. They are called hemipenal homologues, which means in lamens terms: Fake Non-Functional what would have been a Penis Copies that didn't quite pan out.

Side note: The Clitoris in females is a Penile Homologue in humans.

So, after that massive dose of almost inappropriate information, we return to the topic at hand.

Females will have bumps, but they will NOT be deep red (unless you are pressing WAAYYY too hard), and they will not extend very far at all.

You can also see a casting of something over the vent. That is NOT a sperm plug. It is just a dirt casting, similar to smegma in humans. So... Snake Smegma. Gross.

Do not be fooled. Sperm plugs look like nuns hats. Really.

Well... Mostly.

Top right is a proven breeder adult male sperm plug.
Bottom right and left are developing males that have yet to prove out.

So you can see the possible confusion over a basic casting of a female... So be careful.

There you go, my friends. I hope you learned a lot. I hope this was worth the wait.

Anything else you want to see? Shoot me a note/e-mail/comment and I WILL get to it, I swear. I do read them every day.

Have a great weekend, my friends.